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HYPERLOOP 2020

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY

CONSOLIDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR ESE 2020

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Contents
1. e - Governance............................................................................................................................................................... 5
Bhoomi Rashi Portal ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
eCourts Services through Common Service Centres ..................................................................................................... 5
Central Equipment Identity Register ............................................................................................................................. 6
ECI Flagship IT Program - Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) ...................................................... 7
National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.................................................................................................................... 8
PRAGATI ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Jan Dhan Darshak app ................................................................................................................................................... 9
National Virtual Library of India..................................................................................................................................... 9
PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub) 10
National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) Project ............................................................................................................ 11
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) ............................................................................................................................. 11
National Mission on Natural Language Translation ..................................................................................................... 11
Acceptance of Transport Related Information in Electronic Form .............................................................................. 12
Promotion of e-agriculture .......................................................................................................................................... 12
IT Initiatives -ICEDASH & ATITHI: ................................................................................................................................. 13
Indian Railways launches three online applications .................................................................................................... 13
National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) ......................................................................................................... 14
Prakash(Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony) Portal: .................................................................... 14
Audio Odigos (Audio Guide facility App) ..................................................................................................................... 15
Integrating Fastag with e-Way Bill System .................................................................................................................. 16
The National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018.......................................................................................... 17
2. Communication and Networking ................................................................................................................................. 18
World’s first 5G networks ............................................................................................................................................ 18
Software Defined Networking ..................................................................................................................................... 20
GramNet connectivity.................................................................................................................................................. 21
Channels for science communication .......................................................................................................................... 22
Maritime Communication Services in India ................................................................................................................. 22
118 new Community Radio Stations to be set-up ....................................................................................................... 23
The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) ............................................... 23
3. e-Education .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
National Knowledge Network extension ..................................................................................................................... 25
Shagun - Integrated Online junction for School Education.......................................................................................... 25

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4. Space Technology ........................................................................................................................................................ 28

UNNATI programme .................................................................................................................................................... 28
Chandrayaan-2............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Chandrayaan - 2 Status ................................................................................................................................................ 29
PSLV-C44 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 29
GSAT-31-communication satellite ............................................................................................................................... 30
EMISAT Satellite ........................................................................................................................................................... 31
RISAT-2B satellite ......................................................................................................................................................... 32
Cartosat-3 .................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Progress of IRNSS (Independent Regional Navigation Satellite System) ..................................................................... 34
ISRO’s Seven Mega Missions ....................................................................................................................................... 34
Space Situational Awareness Control Centre .............................................................................................................. 35
India to Set Up its Own Space Station ......................................................................................................................... 35
5. ICT Applications ........................................................................................................................................................... 36
Use of Space Technology for Border Management ..................................................................................................... 36
BOLD–QIT project ........................................................................................................................................................ 36
Satellites to Assess Pollution Status ............................................................................................................................ 37
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) ...................................................................................................................................... 37
LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System..................................................................................................... 38
Virtual Reality Centre of Indian Navy........................................................................................................................... 38
AI to predict wind energy output ................................................................................................................................ 39
Flood Hazard Atlas ....................................................................................................................................................... 39
ISRO enabled GPS system in Indian Railways .............................................................................................................. 40
Low cost device for ocean states forecast and mapping potential fishing zones ........................................................ 40
6. Computing ................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Param Shivay-supercomputer ..................................................................................................................................... 42
National Supercomputing Mission .............................................................................................................................. 42
7. Cyber Security .............................................................................................................................................................. 43
India to have own DNS for safe browsing .................................................................................................................... 43
The black eye bug ........................................................................................................................................................ 44
Cyber security - “Any Desk App”.................................................................................................................................. 44
DTrack virus being used to hack ATMs to nuclear power plant in India ...................................................................... 45
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Kronos malware ........................................................................................................................................................... 46
Cloud Honeypots ......................................................................................................................................................... 46

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1. e - Governance
Bhoomi Rashi Portal
The Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA), Ministry of Road Transport & Highway has
developed a web-based Utility –Bhoomi Rashi to fully digitize and automate the entire process of land
acquisition.

Highlights:
• The system helps in expediting the process by providing simultaneous Hindi translation and has
been linked to the e-gazette for expeditious publication.
• Error-free and more transparent and the notifications at every stage are being processed.
• User friendly by adding the feature of SMS services to the beneficiaries so as to enhance
timeliness in dissemination of information.
• Real time tracking of activities and generation of reports, relating to land acquisition

eCourts Services through Common Service Centres

To provide efficient and time-bound access to the Courts services to people, who are on the other
side of the digital divide and don’t have access to internet, the Department of Justice has decided to
deliver eCourts services to them through around 2 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs).

Highlights:
• The rural reach of the CSC's is extensive, envisaging a minimum of one CSC in each Gram
Panchayat.
• The litigants can access easily, and readily case status information available on eCourts database
from any CSC.

eCourts
• The Government of India had initiated second phase of the eCourts project as one of the National
e-Governance projects.
• Computerizing district and subordinate courts of the country through installation of case
information software, hardware and local area network in courts.
• They are also being connected on Wide Area Network through a dedicated network offering
bandwidth upto 100 Mbps.
• eCourts services have now been successfully rolled out through SMS, email, web, mobile app etc.
benefiting millions of litigants and advocates.

The following are the functions of e-Courts Project:

• To provide efficient & time-bound citizen-centric services delivery as detailed in e-Court Project
Litigant's Charter.
• To develop, install & implement decision support systems in courts.

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• To automate the processes to provide transparency in the accessibility of information to its
stakeholders.
• To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively & quantitatively, to make the justice delivery
system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.

Common Service Centres:

• Common Services Centre (CSC) programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT
(MeitY), Government of India.
• CSCs are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India, thereby
contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society.
• They are positioned as change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship and building rural
capacities and livelihoods.
Services offered at CSC’s:
• Agriculture Services
• Education & Training Services
• Health Services
• Rural Banking & Insurance Services
• Entertainment Services
• Utility Services
• Commercial Services
• Ecourts

In news
The High Court of Punjab and Haryana to launch its first virtual court (e-Court) at Faridabad.

o The e-Court would deal with traffic challan cases from across the State.
o The project will be launched under the guidance of e-Committee of the Supreme Court of
India.
o Virtual courts will remove the need for the litigant to be present in the court and facilitate
adjudication of the case online through the use of Information and Communication Technology
(ICT).

Central Equipment Identity Register

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has initiated a
Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) for mobile service providers. The National Telecom Policy
of 2012 calls for the establishment of a National Mobile Property Registry to address the issue of
security, theft, and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile handsets.

About Central Equipment Identity Register:

• It will be a central depository or database of all mobile phones connected to networks across
India.
• CEIR will have information on the Device’s :

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1. International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.

2. Model
3. Version
Objectives of Central Equipment Identity Register
• The CEIR will also access the GSMA’s database of IMEI numbers to check whether the phone is
authentic.
• CEIR will be able to block services to subscribers unlike present system that allows only individual
networks to block services.

About International Mobile Equipment Identity

• Every phone or mobile broadband device has this unique 15 digit code that precisely identifies the
device.
• Mobile phone manufacturers assign IMEI numbers to each device based on ranges allotted to
them by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.
• Dual SIM phones will have two IMEI numbers.

The major objectives of the project include the following:

• Blocking of lost/stolen mobile phones across mobile networks thus discouraging theft of mobile
phones
• Facilitate in tracing of such reported lost/stolen mobile phones
• Prevention of mobile devices with duplicate and fake IMEIs in the network
• Curtail the use of counterfeit mobile devices
• Reduced health risks to the users with the control of use of counterfeit mobile phones
• Improved QoS and reduced call drops with reduction in use of counterfeit mobile devices

ECI Flagship IT Program - Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)

Electronically transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)
• Electronically transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) is developed by Election Commission of
India with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), for the use of the
Service Voters.
• It is a fully secured system, having two layers of security.
• Secrecy is maintained through the use of OTP and PIN and no duplication of casted Electronically
Transmitted Postal Ballot (ETPB) is possible due to the unique QR Code

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Features:
• Service voters can avail this
service from anywhere
outside their constituency.
• System facilitates creation of
service voter electoral roll
data.
• Easy, Efficient and Hassle free
• It is a secure system, having
two layer security
• OTP is required to download
encrypted Electronically
Transmitted Postal Ballot file.
• Secrecy is maintained and no
duplicate of casted ETPB is
possible due to the QR code.
• PIN is required to decrypt,
print and deliver ETPB.

National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence

NITI Aayog published the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
The report:
• Opportunities and economic impact of Artificial Intelligence for India
• India specific key challenges and focus areas of AI implementation
• Different initiatives identified for AI implementation in India and the role of different parties and
the role of our government to make those successful.
Focus areas:
• Healthcare-Application of AI in Healthcare can help address issues of high barriers of access to
healthcare facilities.
• Agriculture-Artificial Intelligence will have significant global impact on agricultural productivity at
all levels of the value chain.
• Education-AI tools can be used to overcome the difficulties and challenges faced by Indian
Education system.
• Smart Cities and Infrastructure: AI helps in improving public safety and eliminate most of the
issues with Smart City and Intelligent City concepts.
• Smart Mobility and Transportation-AI aided smart technologies like Assisted Vehicle, Greenfield
Infrastructure, Autonomous Trucking, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Travel Route & Flow
Optimization and Community Based Parking can be used to address many of the challenging areas
faced by cities.

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PRAGATI
• The PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely
Implementation.
• It is a unique integrating and interactive platform aimed at addressing the common man’s
grievances.
• It monitors and reviews important programs and projects of both central and state governments.
• It is a three-tier system - PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States
• It is incorporated with three latest technologies:
o Digital data management,
o Video-conferencing and
o Geo-spatial technology.
• It is also a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability among the key
stakeholders.
Jan Dhan Darshak app
Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance and National Informatics Centre (NIC) has
jointly developed a mobile app called Jan Dhan Darshak as a part of financial inclusion (FI) initiative.

Salient features of this App:

• Find nearby Financial touch points, based on current location (Branches/ATM/Post offices)
• Search by place name
• Search by place name also available with Voice Interface
• Phone number of bank branches available in app, with the facility of call button for integrated
dialling
• Users’ feedback will go directly to the concerned bank for carrying out the necessary updation in
data on financial touch points.
Significance of the App:
• Financial inclusion
• Digital literacy
• Reach out to end beneficiaries
• Transparency in financial transactions
• Bridging rural urban divide

National Virtual Library of India

National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) is a major project set up by the Ministry of Culture,
Government of India, under the National Mission on Libraries (NML).

• The objective of National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) is to facilitate creation of a comprehensive
database on digital resources of India on information about India in an open access environment.
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• The main goal of this project is to create, collect, encode, and collate various digital artifacts
related to Indian culture, in the form of a portal, and to allow relevant information access through
web-based search.
• This project is an important part of the larger vision of putting information of the entire Indian
cultural heritage in the digital web world.
Vision on NVLI:

• Allowing easy access to digital information present in the form of books, texts, videos, audios, and
similar artifacts in multiple languages.
• Collecting, combining, and standardizing all available digital assets in an easily searchable form.
• Educating people to use the NVLI portal and enabling them to contribute by submitting digital
artifacts.
• Ensuring preservation of digital content for the future generation.
The project of creation of National Virtual Library of India had been entrusted to IIT Bombay (in
collaboration with C-DAC, Pune and IGNOU, Delhi). The Ministry of Culture continuously monitors the
progress of the NVLI project.

PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental

Single-window Hub)

• It is an environmental single window hub for Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ clearances.
• This Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System has been developed in
pursuance of the spirit of ‘Digital India’ and capturing the essence of Minimum Government and
Maximum Governance.

Features:
• “PARIVESH” is a workflow-based application, based on the concept of web architecture.
• It has been rolled out for online submission, monitoring and management of proposals submitted
by Project Proponents to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), as
well as to the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA).
• It seeks to give various types of clearances (e.g. Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal
Regulation Zone Clearances) from Central, State and district-level authorities.
• The system has been designed, developed and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change, with technical support from National Informatics Centre, (NIC).
• The facility of Geographic Information System (GIS) interface for the Appraisal Committee will help
them in analyzing the proposal efficiently, automatic alerts (via SMS and emails) at important
stages to the concerned officers, committee members and higher authorities to check the delays,
if any.
• It also enables project proponents, citizens to view, track and interact with scrutiny officers,
generates online clearance letters, online mailers and alerts to state functionaries in case of delays
beyond stipulated time for processing of applications.

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National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) Project

• It is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) comes under the Digital India Programme.
• Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) is the ‘Nodal Ministry’ for its implementation in all the 31
States/UTs with Legislatures.
• It aims to bring all the legislatures of the country together, in one platform thereby creating a
massive data depository without having the complexity of multiple applications.

Significance of project:
• Paperless Assembly or e-Assembly is a concept involving of electronic means to facilitate the work
of Assembly.
• It enables automation of entire law-making process, tracking of decisions and documents, sharing
of information.
• Through the cloud technology (Meghraj), data deployed can be accessed anywhere at any time.
• The live webcasting of Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV is also available on this application.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

GeM has witnessed a four-fold increase in the total value of transactions on the portal and doubling
of the number of sellers in the marketplace in the FY 2018-19.

About GeM:
• GeM is an Online Market platform was set up in 2016 to facilitate procurement of goods and
services by the government ministries, departments, public sector undertakings (PSU), etc.
• It has been envisaged as National Procurement Portal of India.
• It has been developed by Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (Ministry of Commerce
and Industry) with technical support of National e-governance Division (Ministry of Electronic and
Information Technology).
• It functions under Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), Ministry of Commerce
and Industry.
• GeM is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-marketplace that enables
procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.

National Mission on Natural Language Translation

The Ministry of Electronics and IT is planning to launch a National Mission on Natural Language
Translation. It is one of the key missions identified by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and
Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).

About the Mission:

• It aims to make science and technology accessible to all by facilitating access to teaching and
researching material bilingually — in English and in one’s native Indian language.

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• The government plans to leverage a combination of machine translation and human translation.
• The mission would help not just students but also teachers, authors, publishers, translation
software developers and general readers.

Acceptance of Transport Related Information in Electronic Form

• People can produce the documents or other information either through the DigiLocker app or the
mParivahan app.
• They can download the Driving Licence or the Registration Certificate through these apps and
store on their mobile devices.
• The enforcement agencies can simultaneously access these details from eChallan app, which has
data for on-line verification of vehicle and its license status.
• Off-line verification of mParivahan QR Code is also available on this platform. Normal android
mobile apps can be used for this purpose.
Benefits:
• The enforcement agencies as they are not required to physically handle any document, need not
maintain any inventory or record, and the citizens also not required to carry documents.
• This fast, transparent and accountable system also ensures real-time availability of offence status
to the transport and traffic enforcement officers and the citizens.
Promotion of e-agriculture
For promotion of technology in agriculture sector, following initiatives have been taken:
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has established a network of 715 Krishi Vigyan
Kendras (KVKs) in the country mandated with Technology Assessment and Demonstration for its
Application and Capacity Development (TADA–CD).
• Agro-advisories are given to the farmers through various service providers and the mKisan portal.
• mKisan portal is a platform which provides web-based mobile advisory to farmers with the
technological backstopping from Research Institutes and Agricultural Universities supporting
farmers.
• Information on weather, market, various farm operations, outbreak of pest and disease incidence
and their control measures are given to farmers through Short Message Service (SMS).
• Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) provides a suitable platform for converging all
activities for inclusive growth of agricultural mechanization by providing a ‘single window’
approach for implementation with a special focus on small & marginal farmers.
• Government is also using satellite data and geographic information system GIS Technology for
Crop Production Estimation, Horticultural Inventory, Site Suitability Analysis for crop expansion
and Drought Assessment.
• Government is also implementing National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) scheme for transparent
price discovery for remunerative prices for the farmers for their produce through competitive
online bidding system.
• Under Marketing Research & Information Network (MRIN) Scheme, support is provided to the
States towards setting up and maintaining connectivity with Agmarknet portal for collection and
dissemination of market information on arrivals and prices of agri-commodities.

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IT Initiatives -ICEDASH & ATITHI:

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, unveiled two new IT initiatives – ICEDASH and ATITHI
– for
• Improved monitoring and pace of Customs clearance of imported goods and
• Facilitating arriving international passengers by electronic filing of Customs baggage and currency
declarations.

ICEDASH:
• It is an Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs helping public
see the daily Customs clearance times of import cargo at various ports and airports.
• With ICEDASH, Indian Customs has taken a lead globally to provide an effective tool that helps
businesses compare clearance times across ports and plan their logistics accordingly.
• This dashboard has been developed by CBIC(Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs) in
collaboration with NIC. ICEDASH can be accessed through the CBIC website.
ATITHI
• CBIC has introduced an easy to use mobile app for international travelers to file the Customs
declaration in advance.
• Passengers can use this app to file declaration of dutiable items and currency with the Indian
Customs even before boarding the flight to India. ATITHI is available on both iOS and Android.

Indian Railways launches three online applications

Indian Railways launched three applications for all-India rollout to strengthen the IT enablement of
railways which will help ensure proper monitoring of projects being undertaken by Indian Railways
and will boost the vision of Digital India.
The details and the salient features of these three applications are as under:
CRS Sanction Management System:
• CRS Sanction is an important aspect in construction, maintenance and up-gradation of railway
assets.
Benefits:
• Expeditious preparation and processing of cases for CRS Sanction.
• Effective monitoring of compliance of observations raised by the CRS.
• On-Line Repository of circulars/check-lists/guidelines related to CRS Sanction.
• Managerial reports to monitor the cases, comparative performance.

Rail-road crossing GAD approval system:

• This project for online e-Governance platform was developed to expedite preparation, processing
& approval of General Agreement Drawings (GADs) related to construction of Road Over Bridges
(ROB)/Road Under Bridges (RUB).

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Benefits:
• Accountability of Railways and State Governments/UTs is fixed to each stage for approval of
proposals.
• Better and real time coordination between the stakeholders (Railways/States).
• Facilitates users to get proposal status through mail and SMS at each stage.
• Complete proposal is targeted to be approved in a maximum of 60 days.
• All information related to the proposal and contact person is available within the proposal.

TMS for construction:

• This application has been developed for new assets being constructed by the construction/project
organisation.
Benefits:
• Data validation at source.
• Easy checking/verification of data entry.
• For every data ownership and responsibility is defined and fixed in the application design.

National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM)

• It has been set up by the Ministry of Culture in 2017.
• It will compile data of artists, art forms & geo location with inputs from Central Ministries, State
Governments & art/culture bodies.
• Specially designed data capture form with technical collaboration of National E-Governance
Division (NEGD)/Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has been formulated
for data collection.
• Data from art & culture Akademies of the Ministry of Culture has been collected and will be
entered into a database after due correction.
• Details and salient features of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping are available in the
Mission document on Ministry of Culture’s website.
• Ministry of Culture has not created any circuit related to warriors.
• As a part of the commemorative activity, permanent infrastructure of public utility in the form of
memorials, stadiums, auditoriums etc are created in the memory of the personality/event at
places associated with the personality/event.

Prakash(Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony) Portal:

The Portal aim:
• To bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders viz - Ministry of Power,
Ministry of Coal, Coal India, Railways and power utilities.
• This is an important step in ensuring adequate availability and optimum utilization of coal at
thermal power plants.
The Portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring the entire coal supply chain for power
plants, viz –
• Coal Stock at supply end (mines),
• coal quantities/ rakes planned,
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 ICT Yearly Hyperloop 2020

• coal quantity in transit and

• coal availability at power generating station.

Benefits of Portal to the Stakeholders:

The portal makes available the following information on a single platform -
• Coal company will be able to track stocks and the coal requirement at power stations for effective
production planning
• Indian Railways will plan to place the rakes as per actual coal available at siding and stock
available at power stations.
• Power stations can plan future schedule by knowing rakes in pipe line and expected time to
Reach.
• Stock at power generating station
• Ministry of Power /Ministry of Coal/ CEA/ POSOCO can review overall availability of coal at
thermal power plants in different regions

PRAKASH Portal:
• It is developed by NTPC and sources data from different stakeholders such as Central Electricity
Authority (CEA), Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) and coal companies.
• All reports are available in PDF/Excel format.
• The Portal gives graphical representation of reports with details shown on the map of India.

Currently, the Portal will make available four reports as detailed below -
i. Daily Power Plant Status
ii. Periodic Power Plant Status
iii. Plant Exception Report
iv. Coal Dispatch Report
• Report gives coal subsidiary wise dispatch for particular period.
• It also gives source wise details of coal dispatch.
• Dispatch trend is also shown.
• Plant wise and siding wise details are available.

Audio Odigos (Audio Guide facility App)

• Union Ministry of Tourism launches Audio Guide facility App called ‘Audio Odigos’ for 12 sites of
India (including Iconic Sites).
Audio Guide:
• Audio Odigos app is launched for the benefit of tourists.
• The tourists will now be able to enjoy a more enriching experience and take back historical insights
of Indian culture and heritage.
• The app is now available for download on all Android and iOS supported mobile phones.
Features:
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• The Audio Odigos app contains an inbuilt map of site for a smooth navigation during tour of the
site.
• The Audio guide odigo offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over
support.
• Listeners will be offered various versions of history such as Podcasts, Synopsis and Detailed
History.
• The audio can be chosen in their preferred language & version of history.
Adopt a Heritage:
• Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan It is a flagship scheme of Union Ministry of Tourism.
• The scheme is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and State Governments or Union Territories Administrations.
Objective:
• To involve both public as well as private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to
take up the responsibility of making heritage and tourism more sustainable in India.
• The efforts involve development, operation and maintenance of world-class tourist infrastructure
and amenities at ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) or State heritage sites and other important
tourist sites in India.
Integrating Fastag with e-Way Bill System
• Integrating E-Way Bill system with FASTag to overcoming the existing challenge in track and trace
mechanism for GST E-Way Bill (EWB) System and enhance the efficiency in its monitoring.
• This integration would become mandatory on an all India basis from April 2020.
• This will check the leakage of revenue at the toll plazas.
• With this integration revenue authorities will be able to track the goods vehicles to see whether
they are actually travelling to the specified destination.
• The supplier/ transporter will also be able to track their vehicles through SMS alerts generated at
each toll plaza.
FASTag
FASTag is a simple to use, reloadable tag which enables automatic deduction of toll charges and lets
you pass through the toll plaza without stopping for the cash transaction.
Highlights:
• FASTag is linked to a prepaid account from which the applicable toll amount is deducted.
• The tag employs Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology and is affixed on the vehicle's
windscreen after the tag account is active.
Benefits:
• FASTag is read by the tag reader at the plaza and the toll amount is deducted automatically, when
the vehicle approaches the toll plaza.
• The vehicle with FASTag doesn't need to stop at the toll plaza for the cash transaction
• FASTag is a perfect solution for a hassle free trip on national highways
• Ease of payment – No need to carry cash for the toll transactions, saves time
• Near non-stop movement of vehicles leading to lower fuel cost.
• Online Recharge – FASTag can be recharged online through Credit Card / Debit Card / NEFT/ RTGS
or Net banking

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• SMS alerts for toll transactions, low balance, etc.

• SMS alerts for toll transactions, low balance, etc.
• Validity of 5 Years
The National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018
Missions – NDCP 2018
• Connect India – Universal broadband coverage at 50 Mbps
• Propel India – Attracting investments worth USD 100 Billion
• Secure India – A strong, flexible, and robust communications infrastructure and data protection
regime
Objectives – NDCP 2018
• Providing Broadband to all by 2022
• Adding 4 million jobs in the sector
• Digital Communications sector to grow to 8% of India’s GDP by 2022 (present 6%)
• To bring India to the top 50 rank(from present 134) in the ICT Development Index of the
International Telecom Union
• Net positive international trade in the sector – through increased local manufacturing and exports,
and lower imports
• Ensuring Digital Sovereignty of the country
Highlights:
• Increase in overall teledensity in the country – from 75% in June 2014 to 93% in March 2018
• Mobile Internet subscriptions more than
• Over 107% increase in internet coverage
• Number of mobile Base Transceiver Stations (BTS)more than doubled
• Country-wide OFC coverage doubled
• Average mobile data usage per subscriber grew 51 times
• Cheapest data tariff globally
• Highest mobile data consumption globally
• Seven times growth in broadband access
• Digital payment transactions through mobile grew four times
• Five times jump in FDI inflows in Telecom Sector

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2. Communication and Networking
World’s first 5G networks
South Korea launched world’s first 5G mobile networks on April 3, 2019. Samsung Electronics rolls out
the Galaxy S10 5G, the world’s first available smartphone using the technology. Two hours later,
mobile carrier Verizon began rolling out its 5G services in Chicago and Minneapolis in USA.

Highlights:

• Experts say 5G will bring smartphones near-instantaneous connectivity—20 times faster than 4G—
allowing users to download entire movies in less than a second.
• The technology is crucial for the future development of devices such as self-driving vehicles and is
expected to bring about $565 billion in global economic benefits by 2034.

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About 5G technologies:

• The term 5G is used to describe the next-generation of mobile networks beyond Long Term
Evolution(LTE) mobile networks.
• It is a mix of telecom technology delivering much higher data speeds on more extensive
connectivity, using much lower power, with extended battery life, and emitting less radiation.
• It is also designed to be the network for the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Not only will people be connected to each other but so will utility machines, industrial equipment,
automobiles, city infrastructure, public safety and more.
• In order to support a huge number of devices, many of which require longer battery life, the 5G
network will be building off of the LTE Advanced Pro platform.
• It will use the enhanced machine-type communication (e-MTC) and narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), to
scale down the device and network complexity to reach these support goals.

About LTE:
• It is an abbreviation for Long Term Evolution.
• LTE is a 4G wireless communications standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership
• Project (3GPP) that are designed to provide up to 10x the speeds of 3G networks for mobile
devices such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks, notebooks and wireless hotspots.

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About VoLTE
• It stands for voice over Long Term Evolution.
• Utilising IMS technology, it is a digital packet voice service that is delivered over IP via an LTE
access network.
• Voice calls over LTE are recognised as the industry-agreed progression of voice services across
mobile networks, deploying LTE radio access technology.

About Latency:
• It is a networking term to describe the total time it takes a data packet to travel from one node to
another.
• Latency refers to time interval or delays when a system component is waiting for another system
component to do something.
About Internet of Things (IoT)
• It is an ecosystem of connected physical objects that are accessible through the internet.
• The ‘thing’ in IoT could be a person with a heart monitor or an automobile with built-in-sensors,
i.e. objects that have been assigned an IP address and have the ability to collect and transfer data
over a network without manual assistance or intervention.
• The embedded technology in the objects helps them to interact with internal states or the
external environment, which in turn affects the decisions taken.
Software Defined Networking
Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a network architecture approach that enables the network to
be intelligently and centrally controlled, using software applications.

Need of SDN:
• The monumental growth in multimedia content,the impact of increasing mobile usage, and
increasing competition, pressuresizes the business to reduce costs.
• To keep pace, many global technology companies are turning to SDN technology to revolutionize
network design and operations.
How SDN can bring a paradigm shift?
• By opening up traditionally closed network platforms and implementing a common SDN control
layer, operators can manage the entire network and its devices consistently. This will allow
optimum use of resources.
• By decoupling the hardware from the software, operators can introduce innovative, differentiated
new services rapidly— free from the constraints of closed and proprietary platforms.
• SDN architectures usher in a new era of openness—enabling multi-vendor interoperability.
• SDN can manage the network efficiently, thereby improving the performance of Big Data
applications.
• SDN can greatly facilitate big data acquisition, transmission, storage and processing.
• SDN too can benefit from big data, in terms of traffic engineering and countering security attacks.

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GramNet connectivity
The Government has reiterated its commitment to provide Wi-Fi in all the villages through GramNet
with connectivity between 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps speed.

Key Facts:
• The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) announced that BharatNet also plans to
provide 1 GBPS connectivity, which can be expanded up to 10 GBPS.
• C-DOT also launched three latest innovations during Foundation Day Celebration, which are as
follows:
o XGSPON (10 G Symmetrical Passive Optical Network)
• It can fulfil the increasing demands of high network speeds emanating from the new dimensions
of user applications like IPTV, HD Video Streaming, Online Gaming.
• It can also be a host of other cloud-based services that necessitate the seamless availability of high
bandwidth.
o 2. C-Sat-Fi (C-DOT Satellite WiFi)
• It is based on the optimal utilization of wireless and satellite communication to extend
connectivity.
• It offers the ease of deployment, which is ideally suited to addressing disasters and emergencies
when no other means of communication are available.
• It does not require the expensive Satellite Phones and can work on any WiFi-enabled phone.
o 3. CiSTB (C-DOT’s Interoperable Set-Top Box):
• Based on a portable smart card like a mobile SIM, this solution will revolutionize the experience of
the Cable TV operators by offering them a high degree of choice, ease and convenience without
having to replace the once installed STB.

About GramNet:
GramNet is a part of National Broadband Mission (Rashtriya Broadband Abhiyan) to secure universal
broadband access. Apart from this, there are other initiatives being taken under the same. Few being:
o BharatNet– Providing 1 Gbps to Gram Panchayats upgradeable to 10 Gbps
o NagarNet– Establishing 1 Million public Wi-Fi Hotspots in urban areas
o JanWiFi– Establishing 2 Million Wi-Fi Hotspots in rural areas

About Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT):

o It is an autonomous Telecom R & D centre of DoT, Government of India.
o It was established in 1984.
o It is a registered public-funded research institution with the Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India.
o C-DOT is working towards realising the objective of various flagship programmes of Govt. of
India which include Digital India, BharatNet, Smart Cities etc.

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Channels for science communication
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD), Prasar Bharati
launched two science communication initiatives, DD Science and India Science .
DD Science:
• An one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel
India Science:
• An internet-based channel.
• It will offer live, scheduled play and video-on-demand services.
Significance of the initiatives:
• The channels have been conceived and supported by the DST and are being implemented and
managed by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation of DST.
• They are the first step in creating a national science channel for the country.
• The two channels will have science-based documentaries, studio-based discussions, and virtual
walkthroughs of scientific institutions, interviews and short films and will be completely free to
access.
Maritime Communication Services in India
• Nelco, India's leading VSAT solutions provider will be the first Indian company to provide quality
broadband services to the maritime sector.
• Maritime Connectivity will enable high-end support to those in sea by providing access to Voice,
Data and Video services while traveling on sailing vessels, cruise liners, ships in India, using
satellite technology.
• NELCO will also be offering a bouquet of digital services to cater to the needs of the various types
of maritime vessels.

Background
• In December 2018, the Government of India announced the licenses for In-flight and Maritime
Communications (IFMC) that allows voice and internet services while flying over the Indian skies
and sailing in Indian waters, both for international and Indian aircrafts and vessels.
• The IFMC license is a key initiative of the Telecom Ministry, a move to liberalize satellite
communication services in India.
Inflight and Maritime Telecom Connectivity Policy
• The policy intent of the Government is to open the airspace and territorial waters for
telecommunication services for the general public which was not possible earlier due to lack of
enabling rules.
• Rules envisage creation of satellite gateway within India for providing telecom services in aircraft
and ships through Indian licensed service providers.
• Further, Indian satellite bandwidth has to be utilized. If a foreign satellite is used, it has to be
approved by ISRO.
• Only the authorized IFMC service provider, can provide wireless voice or data or both type of
services on ships within Indian territorial waters and on aircraft within or above India or Indian
territorial waters.
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• Territorial waters are 12 nautical miles from the baseline of the coast and beyond that is the
Exclusive Economic Zone up to 200 nautical miles (1 nautical mile is 1.852 Kms.).
• 7 Companies have taken the authorization to provide Inflight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC)
services till date.
• Satellite bandwidth has been provided on Indian Satellites by ISRO for providing IFMC service.

118 new Community Radio Stations to be set-up

• The approved list of applicants having been granted Letter of Intent for setting up CRS includes
○ 16 from Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts,
○ 6 from most LWE affected districts,
○ 25 from coastal districts,
○ 17 from Aspirational Districts,
○ 3 from North-East and
○ 2 from Jammu and Kashmir.
• Community Radio Stations act as essential communication channels for enhancing last mile of
outreach of government.
Background about Community Radio Stations

• Community Radios are small (low power) FM radio stations with a coverage area of around 10-15
Km radius, depending on the geography of the area.
• CRS play a significant role in dissemination of agriculture related information, government
schemes for people’s welfare, weather forecast etc.
• CRS are expected to produce at least 50% of their programmes locally, as far as possible in local
languages or dialects.
• More than two hundred sixty CRS across India, broadcasting in various languages including local
dialects, give marginalised communities a platform to make their voice heard and an opportunity
to express their views.
The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER)
SAMEER’s vast experience in the areas of Electromagnetic Interference, Compatibility and Pulse
(EMP/EMC/EMI) can help Defence Services, academic institutions, public and private industries to
evolve better.

About Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

• When the radio frequency spectrum is disturbed by an external source it affects an electrical
circuit by electromagnetic induction, it is called as Electromagnetic Interference.
• The disturbance may degrade the performance of the circuit or even stop it from functioning.
• Both man-made and natural sources can be generated by changing electrical currents and voltages
which can create EMI.

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• It can be used intentionally for radio jamming especially in electronic warfare.
About Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC):
• It is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function acceptably in their electromagnetic
environment.
• It works by limiting the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of electromagnetic
energy which may cause unwanted effects such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) or even
physical damage in operational equipment.
• The goal of EMC is to maintain regular operation of different equipment in a common
electromagnetic environment.

About Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP):

• An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a short burst of electromagnetic energy interference caused by
an abrupt and rapid acceleration of charged particles, which can damage electronic components
by short-circuiting them.
• An EMP can contain many energy components of the electromagnetic spectrum, from the very
low frequency waves to the ultraviolet wavelengths.
• One very common cause of EMP is lightning strikes, which supercharge ions in the atmosphere
and cause electricity in the power lines to surge.

About SAMEER:
• The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) was set up as
an autonomous R & D laboratory under the then Department of Electronics, Government of India.
• It aims to undertake R & D work in the areas of Microwave Engineering and Electromagnetic
Engineering Technology.
• It has R&D centres at Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

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3. e-Education
National Knowledge Network extension
India has extended its National Knowledge Network (NKN) to Bangladesh.
What is NKN?
It is a multi-gigabit pan-India network which facilitates the development of India’s communications
infrastructure, stimulates research and creates next generation applications and services.
Aim: To connect all universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare and
agricultural institutions across the country to address such paradigm shift.
Role of NKN:
• Connecting all higher centres of learning and research by bringing together all stakeholders from
science, technology, higher
education, healthcare, agriculture
and governance to a common
platform.
• To optimally utilise the potential of
institutions engaged in generation
and dissemination of knowledge in
various areas, such as research
laboratories, universities and other
institutions of higher learning,
including professional institutions, it
is important to connect them
through a high speed broadband
network.
• To build quality institutions with
requisite research facilities and create a pool of highly trained persons.
Shagun - Integrated Online junction for School Education
The Human Resource Development Ministry launched one of the world's largest Integrated Online
Junction for – School Education ‘Shagun’.

About Shagun:
• School Education Shagun (URL: htpp://shagun.govt.in/) is an over-arching initiative to improve
school education system by creating a junction for all online portals and websites relating to
various activities of the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Government of India
and all States and Union Territories.
• The word Shagun is coined from two different words- ‘Shala’ meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’
meaning Quality and this online junction of different websites and portals into a single platform

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 will enhance the accessibility of information relating to schools and will ensure a holistic approach
to transform the education sector.
• The portal seeks to provide a very robust feedback mechanism which will increase public
participation and will ensure accountability and transparency.
• The portal seeks to connect approximately 92 lakh teachers and 26 crore students.
• About Integrated National School Education Treasury
• Union Human Resource Development Minister has also announced the setting up of the
Integrated National School Education Treasury (INSET).
• It will envisage a fully integrated, accessible and seamless information network for all parameters
relating to the students, teachers, and schools in the country.
• The main focus will be on the following areas:
o Reinforcing and cleaning the data of the Integrated Online Junction through feedback from
Stakeholders
o Ensuring full inter-operability among the websites, portals and applications which are already
hosted in the junction
o Creating high quality e-contents, including quizzes and puzzles to enhance learning and also for
teachers in aiding classroom transactions
o Using artificial intelligence and deep machine learning in a variety of ways to enhance the
quality of school education including for designing evidence-based inventions.

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4. Space Technology
UNNATI programme
• An initiative by ISRO to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations conference
on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE-50).
• The programme provides opportunities to the participating developing countries to strengthen in
assembling, integrating and testing of Nanosatellite.
Chandrayaan-2
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV MkIII-M1 rocket, carrying Chandrayaan-2
spacecraft, lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on July 22,
2019.

About the mission:

• The mission is aimed at landing a rover near the unexplored South Pole. According to ISRO, there
is a possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it.
• Chandrayaan 2, has three important components — the Orbiter, the Lander ‘Vikram’, and Rover
‘Pragyan’.
• The Chandrayaan will be tucked into the GSLV Mk-III rocket.
• The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage.
• This mission will help us to better understand the origin and evolution of the moon.
• The mission will carry out extensive three-dimensional mapping of the topography of the region,
and will also determine its elemental composition and seismic activity.
• The primary objective of Chandrayaan-2 is to demonstrate the ability to soft-landing on the lunar
surface and operate a robotic rover on the surface.
• Soft-landing is landing without any destruction
• At the time of launch, the Chandrayaan 2 Orbiter will be capable of communicating with Indian
Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu as well as the Vikram Lander.

Rover - Pragyan:
Pragyan means “Wisdom” in sanskrit.
• It can travel upto 500m (½ a kilometer) from lander
• It only communicate with lander
• It moves across the surface of a planet to find out information and to take samples.

Lander - Vikram:
• The Lander of Chandrayaan 2 is named Vikram after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the Father of the Indian
Space Programme.
• It is designed to function for one lunar day, which is equivalent to about 14 Earth days.
• The Lander is designed to execute a soft landing on the lunar surface.
Payload is the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight.
• The payload will include terrain mapping cameras to prepare a 3D map of the intended area.

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• An orbiter high resolution camera will capture high-resolution images of the landing site.
• An imaging infrared spectrometer will identify minerals along with signatures of hydroxyl (OH) and
water (H2O) molecules in Polar Regions.

Chandrayaan - 2 Status
• Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-2 failed to make a smooth soft-landing.
• The mission operations complex at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network in
Bengaluru stopped receiving data from the lander.
• Before the touchdown, a few hundred kilometers from the ground, it was expected to hover over
the surface, trying to ascertain whether there was a safe place to land.
• The failure happened 13 minutes after Vikram began its descent.
• To decelerate after starting its descent, Vikram continuously fired its four thrusters in the direction
of its movement.
• It travelled a total of almost 585 km in a parabolic path before losing contact.
PSLV-C44
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) successfully injected Microsat-R and Kalamsat-V2
satellites into their designated orbits.

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Highlights:
• PSLV-C44 placed the 740-kg primary satellite Microsat-R in a 274-km polar sun synchronous orbit
• Kalamsat is said to be the lightest satellite of India
• Military satellite Microsat-R for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
launched for strategic purpose.

GSAT-31-communication satellite
Indian Space Research Organisation’s latest communication satellite, GSAT-31 was successfully
launched by Arianespace aboard its launch vehicle Ariane 5 from the spaceport in French Guiana

About GSAT- 31:

• India’s 40th communication satellite and derives its heritage from ISROs earlier INSAT/GSAT
satellite series.
• It will be placed in Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) using its onboard
propulsion system.
• It will provide communication services to Indian mainland and islands as it as a unique
configuration of providing flexible frequency segments and flexible coverage.
• The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication
applications.
• The satellite will augment the Ku-band transponder capacity in Geostationary Orbit.
• A mission life of around 15 years
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Applications:
• DTH Television Services
• Connectivity to VSATs for ATM
• Stock-exchange
• Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and
• e-governance applications.

EMISAT Satellite

• India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C45) successfully launched EMISAT and 28
international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota.
• This flight marked the first mission of PSLV-QL, a new variant of PSLV with four strap-on motors.
• EMISAT is a satellite built around ISRO’s Mini Satellite-2 bus weighing about 436 kg. The satellite is
intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement.
• The payloads carried by PS4 are Automatic Identification System from ISRO, Automatic Packet
Repeating System from AMSAT, India and Advanced Retarding Potential Analyzer for ionospheric
studies from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology.

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What is EMISAT Satellite?

• It is an electronic intelligence satellite for the Defense Research and Development Organization
(DRDO).
• The EMISAT satellite is aimed at electromagnetic spectrum measurement - so as to intercept and
analyze radar signals, find their location, identify the hostile radars based on their radio frequency
(RF) signature.
• It is an all-weather and all terrain condition satellite, which will allow it to work through clouds,
rain, forest and coastal areas.
• It has the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
Significance of Launch
• The mission was significant as this was the first time a PSLV has placed objects in three different
orbits.
• At the fourth stage three experimental payloads were deployed:
1. Automatic Identification System (AIS) for Maritime satellite applications capturing messages
transmitted from ships
2. Automatic Packet Repeating System (APRS) from AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation), India - assists amateur radio operators in tracking and monitoring position data
3. Advanced Retarding Potential Analyzer for Ionospheric Studies (ARIS) from Indian Institute of
Space Science and Technology (IIST) - for the structural and compositional studies of the
ionosphere.
• It is the first time it has been envisaged to provide a microgravity environment for research
organizations and academic institutes to perform experiments.
RISAT-2B satellite
Radar Imaging Satellite 2B is an Indian radar reconnaissance
satellite that is part of India's RISAT programme.

Key Facts:
• It has been developed for military and general
surveillance purposes.
• The data will also be used in fields of agriculture,
forestry and disaster management support.
• RISAT-2B is equipped with synthetic aperture radar that
can take pictures of the earth during day and night, and also
under cloudy conditions.
• With this advanced earth observation satellite, ISRO has
introduced a complex new technology. That is a 3.6 meter
unfurlable radial rib antenna. This is also going to be the
technology of the future.

Applications:
• Can be used as "spy satellite"
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• In India radar imaging are used for crop estimation because our main crop growing season of
kharif is in May-September when it rains and gets cloudy.
• We have used this data extensively for forestry, soil, land use, geology and during floods and
cyclone.

Features of RISAT 2B

• The satellite has a mass of

615 kg and feature an X-band SAR
(Synthetic Aperture Radar).
• RISAT 2B will be launched
into a 37° inclined orbit at 555 km
orbital height.
• The highly agile satellite is
capable of operating in different
modes including Very High
Resolution RADAR imaging modes
of 1m x 0.5m resolution and 0.5m
x 0.3m resolution.
• In order to increase the
number of imaging opportunities,
the satellite is placed in an inclined orbit.
• RISAT-2B is a Radar Imaging satellite; it can be operated effectively during day / night / all weather
conditions.
• The Satellite will be used for high resolution spot imaging of locations of interest.
Cartosat-3
• It successfully launched Cartosat-3 along with 13 Nanosatellites of USA from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
• Cartosat-3 was successfully injected into a sun synchronous orbit of 509 km.
• Subsequently, the 13 nanosatellites were injected into their intended orbits.
• After separation, solar arrays of Cartosat-3 were deployed automatically and the ISRO Telemetry
Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru assumed control of the satellite.
• It is the most complex and advanced earth observation satellite built by ISRO.
• It was a third generation agile advanced satellite having high resolution imaging capability.
• The mission life of the Cartosat-3 is 5 years.
• Cartosat-3 will address the increased user’s demands for large scale urban planning, rural resource
and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land cover, etc.
PSLV-C47
• It was the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with 6 solid strap-on motors).

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• This was the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota and 9th satellite of Cartosat
series.

Progress of IRNSS (Independent Regional Navigation Satellite System)

• India’s indigenous navigation satellite system termed as Navigation with Indian Constellation
(NavIC) is already established by ISRO and is functional since April 2018.
• NavIC consists of Space Segment (constellation of seven IRNSS satellites) and Ground Segment
(spread across India).
• The system is providing Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) service and one satellite (IRNSS-
1A) is providing messaging service.
• Use of AIS-140 compliant NavIC-based vehicle trackers system has been made compulsory to all
commercial vehicles.
• More than 75 companies are now manufacturing NavIC based vehicle trackers, and several
thousand vehicles are now plying on the roads equipped with these devices.
• The updated version of new mobile models will be having NavIC based positioning systems.
• NavIC has been accepted by 3GPP (Third Generation Project Partnership) thereby enabling
incorporation of NavIC as part of assisted GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System).
• NavIC is also useful for applications like timing solution, drones, surveying, weather radiosondes,
forestry, precision agriculture, etc.
• About 8,900 NavIC SPS receivers were deployed for use by fishermen, Academic Institutes, R&D
Organisations, vehicle trackers etc.
• ISRO has developed core technologies required for Standard Positioning Services (SPS) and
Restricted Services (RS) services of IRNSS/NavIC.
• In order to miniaturize and provide cost-effective NavIC solution, ISRO is developing various
Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) based modules through industries and in-house
projects.
ISRO’s Seven Mega Missions
ISRO has planned seven mega missions, including Chandrayaan-2, to be conducted over a period of 10
years. Xposat will be launched to study cosmic radiation in 2020, Aditya-L1 to the Sun in 2021, Mars
Orbiter Mission-2 in 2022, Venus Mission in 2023, Lunar Polar Exploration or Chandrayaan-3 in 2024
and Exoworlds, an exploration outside the solar system in 2028.

• Aditya-L1 will be placed in a ‘libration orbit’, which is about 1.5 million km from Earth. It is about
1% of the distance between the Sun and the Earth, where the gravity of the two celestial objects
equalises. Placing it in such an orbit allows the spacecraft to circle along with the earth, thereby
constantly facing the Sun.
• Aditya-L1 will play a key role in understanding and predicting climate change on Earth. The
payloads will study the solar corona. Corona has an influence on the upper atmosphere and that
impacts climate change on earth.
• Xposat will be a five-year mission, carrying a polarimeter instrument made by Raman Research
Institute to measure cosmic radiation. The spacecraft will be placed in a circular 500-700 km orbit.

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• The four other undefined missions, which are in the planning stage, are Mangalyaan-2, Venus
mission, Lunar Polar Exploration and Exoworlds.

Space Situational Awareness Control Centre

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has laid the foundation stone for the Space Situational
Awareness Control Centre in Bengaluru.

About the centre:

• The control centre would host a range of activities related to the protection of Indian space assets
from inactive satellites, pieces of orbiting objects, near earth asteroids and adverse space weather
conditions.
• It would also assimilate the tracking data of inactive satellites from indigenous observation
facilities and generates useful information from bare observations through analysis.
• Space Situational Awareness & Management (SSAM) has become an internationally significant
area due to the rise of man-made space debris and the increased collision threat with operational
spacecraft.

India to Set Up its Own Space Station

India is planning to launch its own space station by 2030, joining the league of US, Russia, and China
to an elite space club.

Indian Space Station

• The Indian space station will be much smaller (mass of 20 tonnes) than the International Space
Station and will be used for carrying out microgravity experiments (not for space tourism).
• Preliminary plan for the space station is to accommodate astronauts for up to 20 days in space,
and the project will be an extension of the Gaganyaan mission.
• It will orbit Earth at an altitude of around 400km.
• ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is working on space docking experiment (Spadex), a
technology that is crucial for making the space station functional.
About Space Station
• A space station is a habitable spacecraft capable of supporting human crewmembers and designed
to remain in space.
• As of now, the International Space Station (ISS) is the only fully functioning space station and
largest human-made body in low Earth orbit.
• Space station is essential for collecting meaningful scientific data, especially for biological
experiments.
• Space stations are used to study the effects of long-term space flight on the human body.

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5. ICT Applications
Use of Space Technology for Border Management
Union Government has formed a Task Force for identifying areas for use of space technology in
improving border management headed by Joint Secretary (Border Management) with members from
Border Guarding Forces (BGFs) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• The project will strengthen island and border security by providing observation, communication
and navigation capability to border guarding and internal security forces in remote areas.
• It will also help Ministry of Home Affairs in planning and monitoring of development of border and
island infrastructure.
Details of the areas identified for use of space technology:
1. Island development and security
2. Border Surveillance
3. Communication and Navigation
4. GIS and Operations Planning System
5. Border Infrastructure Monitoring

BOLD–QIT project
The Union Home Ministry will inaugurate the project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT
Interception Technique) under CIBMS (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management system) on
India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri District of Assam.
Background:
The 61 Kms of Border area in District Dhubri, Assam where River Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh
is consisting of vast char lands and innumerable river channels thus making border guarding in this
area, a daunting task especially during rainy season.
Highlights:
• BOLD-QIT is the project to install technical systems under the Comprehensive Integrated Border
Management System (CIBMS).
• The entire span of River Brahmaputra has been covered with data network generated by
Microwave communication, OFC Cables, DMR Communication, day and night surveillance Cameras
and intrusion detection system.
• These modern gadgets provide feeds to BSF Control Rooms on the Border and enable BSF Quick
Reaction Teams (QRT) to thwart any possibility of Illegal Cross Border Crossing/ Crimes.
Significance of the project:
The implementation of this project will not only help BSF to curb all type of cross border crimes but
also provide respite to the troops from round the clock human surveillance.

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Satellites to Assess Pollution Status

The Imager payload on-board ISRO’s INSAT-3D & 3DR satellites is used to monitor Aerosol Optical
Depth (AOD).

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)

• Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a quantitative estimate of the amount of aerosol present in the
atmosphere, and it can be used as a proxy for surface Particulate Matter PM2.5 (particles smaller
than 2.5 µm median diameter).
• AOD measures the extinction of a ray of light as it passes through the atmosphere.

How is AOD calculated?

• Using medium resolution Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite data, stubble burned area maps are
generated at the end of stubble burning activity in Kharif season.

Importance of AOD
• It is found that AOD, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are higher over Indo-Gangetic Plain covering
parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during October and November.
• High concentration of these pollutants is seen originating from parts of Punjab and Haryana during
stubble burning.
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)
The cabinet approved the launching of National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems
(NMICPS) which is to be implemented by Department of Science & Technology for a period of five
years.

About Cyber-physical system (CPS):

• It deals with the deployment of computer-based systems that do things in the physical world. It
integrates sensing, computation, control and networking into physical objects and infrastructure,
connecting them to the Internet and to each other.
• Examples of cyber physical systems are Smart Grid Networks, Smart Transportation System,
Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Utility Service Infrastructure for Smart Cities, etc.
• CPS and its associated technologies, like Artificial Intelligence (Al), Internet of Things (loT),
Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DP), Big Data Analytics, Robotics, Quantum Computing,
Quantum Communication, Quantum encryption (Quantum Key Distribution), Data Science &
Predictive analytics, Cyber Security for physical infrastructure and other infrastructure plays a
transformative role in almost every field of human endeavor in all sectors.

Difference between CPS and Internet of Things (IoT)

• CPS is physical and engineered system, whose operations are monitored, coordinated,
controlled and integrated by a computing and communication core. Whereas IoT is the

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 network of devices such as vehicles, and home appliances that contain electronics, software,
actuators, and connectivity which allows these things to connect, interact and exchange data.
• CPS engineering has a strong emphasis on the relationship between computation and the
physical world. IoT has a strong emphasis on uniquely identifiable and internet-connected
devices and embedded systems.
• CPS not necessarily connects with internet. It may be individual system which integrates the
physical and cyber technology like smart electricity meters.
• In IoT all appliances are connected to each other through internet.

About National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems

• It is a comprehensive mission which would address technology development, application
development, human resource development, skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and start-
up development in CPS and associated technologies.
• It aims at establishment of 15 numbers of Technology Innovation Hubs, six numbers of
Application Innovation Hubs and four numbers of Technology Translation Research Parks
(TTRP).
• These Hubs & TTRPs will connect to Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State
Government in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organizations across
the country in a hub and spoke model.

LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched a new portal LADIS – Least Available
Depth Information System that would ensure real-time information on available depth on stretches of
national waterways.

The portal:
• LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available depths (LADs) is disseminated for ship,
barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on national waterways (NWs)
in a more planned way.
• It will assure depth of waterway is required for seamless movement of vessels.
• Initially LAD information will be available for NW-1, NW-2, Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route and
NW-3, along with the date of survey. The facility will be expanded to other NWs also.
• IWAI has designed LADIS to facilitate the day-to-day operations of inland vessels plying on NWs
and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation.
Virtual Reality Centre of Indian Navy
Chief of Naval Staff inaugurated the first ‘state-of-the-art’ Virtual Reality Centre (VRC) at the
Directorate of Naval Design (Surface Ship Group), New Delhi.

• This centre would provide major boost to the Indigenous warship design capabilities of Indian
Navy
• Providing impetus to self-reliance and greater fillip to warship construction under “Make in India”
initiative of the Indian government.

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About Virtual Reality:

• Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment.
About Augmented Reality (AR):

It is an enhanced version of reality where live direct or indirect views of physical real-world
environments are augmented with superimposed computer-generated images over a user’s view of
the real-world, thus enhancing one’s current perception of reality.

AI to predict wind energy output

In collaboration with its Britain-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) subsidiary DeepMind, Google has
developed a system to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of actual generation.

How does it work?

• Using a neural network trained on widely available weather forecasts and historical turbine data,
the researchers configured the DeepMind system to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of
actual generation.
• Based on these predictions, our model recommends how to make optimal hourly delivery
commitments to the power grid a full day in advance.
• This is important, because energy sources that can be scheduled, or can deliver a set amount of
electricity at a set time, are often more valuable to the grid.
• The machine learning has boosted the value of our wind energy by roughly 20 per cent, compared
to the baseline scenario of no time-based commitments to the grid.
Significance:
• Boost the value of wind energy
• Strengthen the business case for wind power
• Drive further adoption of carbon-free energy on electric grids worldwide.

Flood Hazard Atlas

Odisha has released a unique flood hazard atlas on the basis of historic flood inundation captured
through satellite imagery over the period from 2001 to 2018.

About Flood Hazard Atlas:

• It is the mapping and zonation of an area prone to frequent flooding, the mapping is done on the
basis of the data of the past few years.
• The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO),
Hyderabad does flood hazard zonation.
Significance:

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• A more concise focus on the effects and impacts of the flooded area is possible during the early
planning stages.
• Risk reduction or mitigation techniques can be recommended for the same portion of the study
area.
• Location, severity, or frequency of hazard can be done more easily.
• A study area or a sub-area can be expanded, reduced, or deleted. Study areas can be divided into
sub-areas requiring more information, additional assessments, or specific reduction techniques.
• A more realistic evaluation of risks to new development is possible. Appropriate hazard reduction
techniques can be more easily developed to deal with an emergency situation.
ISRO enabled GPS system in Indian Railways
Real-time Train Information System (RTIS) project is being executed by Centre for Railway Information
System (CRIS), Information Technology arm of the Ministry of Railways, in collaboration with Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It is primarily used for acquisition of train movement data, including that of arrival, departure, run-
through timings at the stations in route.
• The automatic acquisition of the train running data by the RTIS system helps in improving the
efficiency of train control, dissemination of accurate train running information to the passengers
and freight customers, and emergency messaging between locomotive and control centre.

Low cost device for ocean states forecast and mapping potential fishing zones
• The government launched the Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and
Information (GEMINI) device.
The GEMINI device:
• It was developed by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an
autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) along with the Airports Authority
of India (AAI).
• The device was electronically designed and developed by a private industry M/S Acord, Bangalore
under Make in India Program.
• The GEMINI device has been developed to provide satellite-based communication which will be
highly used to deal with cyclones, high waves, and tsunamis.
• It will also provide seamless and effective dissemination of emergency information and
communication on disaster warnings.
• The low-cost device will forecast and map Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) and Ocean States
Forecasts (OSF) to fishermen.
• The device utilizes the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) satellite system for the
transmission of the PFZ, OSF and disaster warnings to fishermen.
• GAGAN system consists of three geosynchronous satellites namely GSAT-8, GSAT-10, and GSAT-15.
• The PFZ Advisories provide information on the probable locations on fish aggregation in the seas
and the OSF will provide the accurate state of the ocean to the fishermen.
• Big data to Mitigate the Impact of Disaster
According to the report by the UN‘s Asia-Pacific social agency, technological innovations like big data
can better predict disasters in the Asia-P acific region and help to reduce its impact.
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 ICT Yearly Hyperloop 2020

The report:
• Further, disasters also cause more damage in Asia and the Pacific, measured as a percentage of
GDP, than the rest of the world, and this gap has been widening.
• In this context, technologies intervention caused by big data can help identify and locate those
most at risk, to warn people ahead of a disaster, and deliver targeted relief afterwards.
• This data can come from a range of sources, including satellite imagery, drone videos, simulations,
crowdsourcing, social media and global positioning systems.

A Big Data-driven sensor network can help mitigate disaster in the following ways:

• Flood and cyclone forecasting now rely on computer simulations, machine learning can help
predict the location and severity of floods.
• Sensor webs and the Internet of Things can enable efficient earthquake early-warning systems.
• Remote sensing via satellites and drones provide quick assessments of damage and people
affected so that disaster response can be prioritized.
• Public data like India’s digital ID system (Aadhar) can help deliver targeted benefits to millions of
small and marginal farmers affected by drought.
• Big data applications have led to substantial reductions in mortalities and economic losses due to
typhoons in the north and east Asia.

About Big Data:

• Big Data, broadly characterize data sets so large they cannot be stored and analysed by the
traditional data storage and processing methods.
• It has three characteristics, referred to as the three V’s – Volume, Velocity and Variety, that
distinguish Big Data from other forms of data.
• The emergence of Big Data has primarily been due to the decrease in the cost of sensory and mass
digitization of systems and processes around the globe.

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6. Computing
Param Shivay-supercomputer
The ‘Param Shivay’ Supercomputer of 833 teraflop capacity built at the cost of Rs 32.5 crore under the
National Super Computing Mission at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Banaras Hindu
University (BHU) was recently inaugurated.

About Param Shivay:

• The ‘Param Shivay’ will include 1 peta byte secondary storage and appropriate open source system
and application software suite using 223 processor nodes, 384 GB per node DDR4 RAM, parallel
file system, including CPU and GPU.
• India’s first supercomputer called PARAM 8000 was launched in 1991.

Benefits:
• The problems of common man related to relevant social issues such as irrigation schemes, traffic
management, health, an affordable drug will also be taken care of with this supercomputer centre.
• Scientists, teachers and research students, government research laboratories in adjacent
engineering colleges to IIT-BHU can avail benefits of the projects.
National Supercomputing Mission
The new supercomputing system would be used for specific challenge domains like cryptography,
chemistry, molecular dynamics, drug discovery, artificial intelligence and data sciences where the new
system would be utilized.

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Key Facts:
• The mission will enable India to leapfrog to the league of world-class computing power nations
• National Supercomputing Mission to connect national academic and R&D institutions with a grid
of over 70 high-performance computing facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore.
• The mission would be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology and
Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) through Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
• The mission has been conceptualised and evolved keeping in view the ever increasing computing
demand of the scientific and academic community in the country, international technology trends
and roadmaps, strategic importance and emergence of supercomputing as a benchmark for
scientific and technological advancements, it said.
• The Mission supports the government's vision of 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' initiatives.
• These supercomputers will also be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the
National Knowledge Network (NKN).
• Academic and R&D institutions as well as key user departments/ministries would participate by
using these facilities and develop applications of national relevance.
• The Mission also includes development of highly professional High Performance Computing (HPC)
aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications.

Supercomputers in India
• India’s first supercomputer called PARAM 8000 was launched in 1991.
• At present, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology has Pratyush supercomputer, which is the
fastest supercomputer in India, it has a speed of 4.0 Petaflops.
• National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting has Mihir, which has a speed of 2.8
petaflops.
About Unit of Computing Speed:
• Teraflops: It is a unit of computing speed equal to one million million (10^12) floating-point
operations per second (FLOPS).
• Petaflops: It is a unit of computing speed equal to one thousand million million (10^15) floating-
point operations per second (FLOPS).
• Exaflops: It is a unit of computing speed equal to one billion billion (10^18) floating-point
operations per second (FLOPS).

7. Cyber Security
India to have own DNS for safe browsing
The Government of India will soon roll out a public Domain Name Server, or DNS for India.

• It aimed at providing a faster and more secure browsing experience for Internet users in the
country, while ensuring that citizens’ data is stored locally.

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• To ensure availability, particularly for smaller Interest Service Providers (ISPs) who don’t have
credible DNS.
• The roll-out, which will be executed by the National Informatics Centre.
• The government’s system would prevent users from visiting malicious websites.
What is DNS?
A DNS is a like a directory for the Internet. It helps to convert domain names that are easy for people
to remember into IP addresses, which are used by computers/machines to communicate. If the DNS is
either slow or fails to work, users will not be able to locate web addresses.

The black eye bug

The black eye bug affected the iPhones across the world.
Highlights:
• The bug transmitted audio to a caller despite the recipient not having accepted the call.
• It was triggered when the initial caller added a third person to a FaceTime call.

Bug
• It is an error, fault or flaw in any computer program or a hardware system.
• A bug produces unexpected results or causes a system to behave unexpectedly.

Patch
• A patch is a set of changes to a computer program or its supporting data designed to update, fix,
or improve it.
• This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, with such patches usually being called
bug fixes or bug fixes and improving the usability or performance.

Cyber security - “Any Desk App”

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is warning all the online banking users against Any Desk App
fraudulent app stating that the app could first steal all your banking details and then all your money
from the bank account.

Key Facts:
• The Any Desk app works like a remote access service that takes control of your device and does
transactions on user’s behalf.
• Reportedly, the app can detect all your OTPs which means it can siphon off all your money from
bank account in minutes.
• As per the RBI alert message, all the online banking users are at risk but the UPI users are more
vulnerable to it.
About the App:
• The app download request can come from either social media or from the Play Store/App store
platforms.

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• Once you have downloaded the app, the app will generate a nine-digit code on your device which
will be used by the hacker to access the data and SMS service on your device.
• The hacker via this method can hack any mobile-banking or payment apps.
DTrack virus being used to hack ATMs to nuclear power plant in India
• Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has admitted that one of its computers have
been attacked by malware.
• It has mentioned that the victim computer was only used for administrative purposes and was not
connected to the main control system.
• Researchers have identified that the malware which infected the computer at Kudankulam nuclear
power plant was DTrack.
• DTrack – a virus used by a North Korea-based hacker group Lazarus.
What is DTrack?
• DTrack is used by hackers to attack financial and research centres in India.
• It’s earlier version ATMDtrack was designed to hack ATMs in India.
• The malware was designed to be planted on the victim’s ATMs, where it could read and store the
data of cards that were inserted into the machines.
• Later a version of it was used to attack the banking system in South Korea as well as for the
infamous WannaCry ransom worm attacks across the globe.
What does DTrack do?
There are at least 180 versions of DTrack virus identified by Kaspersky Lab. Samples analyzed by
Kaspersky Lab include the following capabilities:
• Keylogging
• Retrieving browser history
• Gathering host IP addresses, information about available networks and active connections
• Listing all running processes
• Listing all files on all available disk volumes

How can companies/organisations/research organisations avoid DTrack and its variants?

The hackers need to gain at least partial control over the internal network in order to launch a cyber-
attack. This means that the target organizations may have a number of security issues, such as:
• Weak network security policies
• Weak password policies
• Lack of traffic monitoring

Steps companies can take to avoid malware attack:

• Tighten their network and password policies
• Use traffic monitoring software
• Use antivirus solutions

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Cyber Security Audit in KKNP
• Complete check of the administrative network of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) was
done by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) along with Computer &
Information Security Advisory Group (CISAG) of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
• Certain measures for immediate and short term implementation has been recommended.
• Several measures have been taken for further strengthening of Information Security in
administrative networks viz.
• Hardening of internet and administrative intranet connectivity,
• Restriction on removable media,
• Blocking of websites & IPs which have been identified with malicious activity, etc.
Kronos malware
Kronos is aimed at stealing banking information.

• Kronos is a type of Trojan.

• Kronos first appeared online on a Russian underground forum in 2014.
Malware:
Malware is a generic term that can be used to refer to nefarious software, which has been specifically
designed to disrupt or damage a computer system.

Trojans:
• Trojans are commonly spread via email attachments, and once downloaded, can give attackers
free reign to snoop and steal sensitive information like financial data, emails, and passwords.
• Trojans are often bundled with legitimate but keep the original software intact to avoid suspicion.

Cloud Honeypots
• A honeypot is a system intended to mimic likely targets of cyber attackers for security researchers
to monitor cyber-criminal behaviour.
• They serve no business function.
• Honeypots are used to trap, allowing time for defenders to analyze their threat parameters and
generate appropriate threat indicators to block an impending attack.

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