JUNIOR – 2023 - 24

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Dear Student,

SPOT Assessment is purely based on the science aptitude of

the learner. The textual portion, the learner studies in the
respective class need to be reaffirmed. You can do careful
reading of any materials in science which can improve your
knowledge horizons. This booklet will help you to identify
the other topics that are broadly covered for this year’s
SPOT PRELIMS & SPOT 100’S

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 INDEX
Sr. No Contents Page No

1. BRANCHES OF SCIENCE 4
2. SCEINCE IN ANCIENT INDIA 12
3. GREAT SCIENTISTS 17
4. INDIA IN SPACE 31
5. AMAZING FACTS ABOUT SCIENCE 42
6. FACTS ABOUT ROCKET 45
7. WORLD SPACE WEEK 48
8. OZONE LAYER 51

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 BRANCHES OF SCIENCE

SCIENCE is a concerted Human effort to understand, or to understand

better, the history of how the natural world works, with observable physical
evidence as the basis of that understanding. It is done through observation
of natural phenomena, and or through experimentation that tries to
stimulate natural processes under controlled conditions.
The Major Branches of Science

Science is a systematic study of the nature and manners of an object and the
natural universe that is established around measurement, experiment,
observation and formulation of laws. There are four major branches of
science; each branch is categorized in differenttype of subjects that covers
different areas of studies such us chemistry, physics, mathematics,
astronomy etc.

The four major branches of science are Mathematics and logic, natural
science, physical science and social science.

Physical Science is classified into three:

Physics - A natural science that involves the study ofmatter,

motion, energy, force, objects, etc. related touniverse and its
function

Chemistry – The study and analysis of various elements,

composition, structure, chemical process, etc.

Astronomy – The study of objects beyond theatmosphere of the

earth
Earth Science is a branch of Physical science

Classified into five:

Ecology - The study of environment, relation ofl living

organisms in the environment and ecosystem

Oceanology –Otherwise known as Marine Science and various other topics

related to oceans.
Geology – The study about various aspects of earth, an interesting
branch that deals with digging the past.
Meteorology – The study about climate, rainfall, wind,speed, density, etc.

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related to the Atmosphere.
Paleontology – Similar to Geology, which deals withthe study of various
objects that existed in the prehistoric period
Life Science or Biological science
Biology – Natural science and in-depth study of livingorganisms, from
evolution to destruction.

Botany – A known branch of science, studying about plantkingdom

Zoology – The twin branch of botany, study of animal kingdom

Human Biology– The study about human beings, nutrition,diseases,

medicine, etc.

Genetic Science – The study about genes, genetic facts,diseases of

genes, etc.
Medicine – The study, diagnosis, research, etc. of variousdiseases and
treatments
SOCIAL SCIENCE

A branch of science that deals with the society and human behaviorin it,
including anthropology, communication studies, criminology, economics,
geography, history, political science, psychology, social studies, and
sociology.
Applications of some important branches of science and the scope of
learning
PHYSICS

Physics is the study of energy and matter with respect to space andtime.
Physics is used heavily in engineering. For example, statics, asubfield of
mechanics, is used in the building of bridges and other static structures.
The understanding and use of acoustics results in sound control and
construction of better concert halls; similarly, the use of optics creates
better optical devices. An understanding of physics makes for more
realistic flight simulators, video games, and movies, and is often critical in
forensic investigations. With the standard consensus that the laws of
physics are universal and do notchange with time, physics can be used
to study things that would ordinarily be mired in uncertainty. For example,
in the study of the origin of the earth, one can reasonably model earth’s
mass, temperature, and rate of rotation, as a function of time allowing one
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to extrapolate forward orbackward in time and so predict future or prior
events. It also allows for simulations in engineering which drastically
speeds up the development of new technologies.
BOTANY

The study of plants is vital because they underpin almost all animal life
on Earth by generating a large proportion of the oxygen and foodthat
provide humans and other organisms with aerobic respiration with the
chemical energy they need to exist. Plants, algae and cyanobacteria are
the major groups of organisms that carry out photosynthesis, a process
that uses the energy of sunlight to convertwater and carbon dioxide into
sugars that can be used both as a source of chemical energy and of
organic molecules that are used inthe structural components of cells. As
a by-product of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen into the
atmosphere, a gas that is required bynearly all living things to carry out
cellular respiration. In addition, they are influential in the global carbon
and water cycles and plant roots bind and stabilize soil, preventing soil
erosion. Plants are crucialto the future of human society as they provide
food, oxygen,medicine, and products for people, as well as creating and
preservingsoil.
ZOOLOGY

Study of Zoology is great importance to man. It has helped man to

recognize the living things and to adapt himself according to the
environment. The students of Zoology can learn about animals and
Zoological principles which may help them for proper maintenance oflife.
Zoologist acquires the power to evaluate the nature which is notpossible
by the other means. The scope of applied Zoology is innumerable. It
provides the knowledge of medicine, dentistry, Veterinary medicine,
medical technology, nursing, Museum Work, zoological teaching,
zoological research, agriculture, environmental science, and
conservation. Genetics is another branch of zoology. Itsknowledge has
brought revolution in plant and animal breeding. There is every
possibility that our non-renewable natural resources will be exhausted
in near future. The conservation of these natural resources may be
possible through zoological knowledge.

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ASTRONOMY

Astronomy is one of the few sciences where amateurs can still play an
active role, especially in the discovery and observation of transient
phenomena. Amateur astronomers have made and contributed to many
important astronomical discoveries, such as finding new comets.

ECOLOGY

The scope of ecology contains a wide array of interacting levels of

organization spanning micro-level (e.g., cells) to a planetary scale (e.g.,
biosphere) phenomena. Ecosystems, for example, contain abiotic
resources and interacting life forms (i.e., individual organisms that
aggregate into populations which aggregate into distinct ecological
communities). Ecosystems are dynamic, they do not always follow a
linear successional path, but they are always changing, sometimes
rapidly and sometimes so slowly that it can takethousands of years for
ecological processes to bring about certain successional stages of a
forest. An ecosystem’s area can vary greatly,from tiny to vast. A single
tree is of little consequence to the classification of a forest ecosystem,
but critically relevant to organisms living in and on it.
GEOLOGY

Geology (in Greek, Geo means Earth, Logos means Science) is a branch
of science dealing with the study of the Earth. It is also knownas earth
science. Geology provides a systematic knowledge of construction
materials, their structure and properties. The knowledge of Erosion,
Transportation and Deposition (ETD) by surface water helps in soil
conservation, river control, coastal and harbor works.
CHEMISTRY

Chemistry is more specialized, being concerned by the composition,

behavior (or reaction), structure, and properties of matter, as well asthe
changes it undergoes during chemical reactions. It is a physical
Science which studies various substances, atoms,molecules and matter

Biochemistry, the study of substances found in biological organisms;

physical chemistry, the study of chemical processes using physical

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concepts such as thermodynamics and quantum mechanics; and
analytical chemistry, the analysis of material samples to gain an
understanding of their chemical composition and structure. Many
more specialized disciplines have emerged in recent years,
e.g. neurochemistry the chemical study of the nervous system.
LIFE SCIENCE

Life science comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific
study of living organisms, like plants, animals, and human beings.
However, the study of behavior of organisms, such aspracticed in
ethology and psychology, is only included in as much asit involves in a
clearly biological aspect. While biology remains the centerpiece of life
science, technological advances in molecularbiology and biotechnology
have led to a burgeoning of specializations and new, often
interdisciplinary, fields.

HUMAN BIOLOGY
Human biology is an interdisciplinary academic field of biology, biological
anthropology, nutrition and medicine which focuses on humans; it is
closely related to primate biology, and a number of other fields. Some
branches of biology include microbiology, anatomy, neurology and
neuroscience, immunology, genetics, physiology, pathology, biophysics,
and ophthalmology.

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 BRANCHES OF SCIENCE AND ITS DEFINITION

Aerodynamics : the study of the motion of gas on objects

and the forces created
Anatomy : the study of the structure
and organization of living
things
Anthropology : the study of human cultures both
past and present
Archaeology : the study of the material remains
of cultures
Astronomy : the study of celestial objects in
the universe
Astrophysics : the study of the physics of the
universe Bacteriology: the study of bacteria in relation to
disease
Biochemistry : the study of the organic chemistry of
compounds and processes occurring
in organisms

Biophysics : the application of theories and methods

of the physical sciences to questions of
biology
Biology : the science that studies living organisms
Botany : the scientific study of plant life
Chemical Engineering: the application of science, mathematics,
and economics to the process of
converting raw materials or chemicals
into more useful or valuable forms
Chemistry : the science of matter and its
interactions with energy and
itself

Climatology : the study of climates and

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 investigations
of its phenomena and causes.

Ecology : the study of how organisms

interact with each other and to their
environment
Electronics : science and technology of electronic
phenomena
Entomology : the study of insects
Environmental Science : the science of the interactions between
the physical, chemical, and biological
components of the environment
Genetics : the science of genes, heredity, and the
variation of organisms
Geology : the science of the Earth, its
structure, and history
Marine Biology : the study of animal and plant life within
Saltwater ecosystems
Medicine : the science concerned with maintaining
health and restoring it by
treating disease
Meteorology : study of the atmosphere that focuses on
weather processes and forecasting
Microbiology : the study of microorganisms, including
viruses, prokaryotes and simple
eukaryotes

Mineralogy : the study of the chemistry, crystal

structure, and physical (including
optical) properties of minerals
Molecular Biology : the study of biology at molecular level
Nuclear Physics : the branch of physics which deals with
the structure of atomic nucleus and the
nuclear radiation.

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Neurology : the branch of medicine dealing with the
nervous system and its disorders
Oceanography : study of the earth’s oceans,
their Inter linked ecosystems
and chemical and physical
processes
Ornithology : the study of birds
Paleontology : the study of life-forms existing in former
geological time periods
Physics : the study of the behavior and
properties of matter
Physiology : the study of the mechanical, physical,
and biochemical functions of living
organisms
Radiology : the branch of medicine dealing with the
applications of radiant energy in
imaging technology, which includes x-
rays and radioisotopes
Seismology : A branch of geophysics which deals
with the study of earthquakes and
the movement of waves within the
Earth
Taxonomy : the science of classification of animals
and plants
Thermodynamics : the physics of energy, heat, work,
entropy and the spontaneity
of processes
Zoology : the study of animals

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 SCIENCE IN ANCIENT INDIA
Ancient India has contributed many eminent learning to the field of
Mathematics and Science, including Medical Science, Ayurveda, Yoga,
Astronomy, Astrology, etc.

Aryabhata - Mathematician and Astronomer

Aryabhata was a fifth century mathematician, astronomer, astrologerand
physicist. He was a pioneer in the field of mathematics. At the age of 23,
he wrote Aryabhata, which is a summary of mathematicsof his time.
Aryabhata showed that zero was not a numeral only butalso a symbol and
a concept. Discovery of zero enabled Aryabhata to find out the exact
distance between the earth and the moon.

MEDICAL SCIENCE IN ANCIENT INDIA (AYURVEDA & YOGA)

Ayurveda is the indigenous system of medicine that was developed in

Ancient India. The word Ayurveda literally means the science of good
health and longevity of life. This ancient Indian system of medicine not
only helps in treatment of diseases but also in finding the causes and
symptoms of diseases. Acharya Charaka is called thefather of ayurvedic
medicine and Sushruta the father of surgery.

SCIENTISTS OF MODERN INDIA

The development of scientific thought in modern India is due to the
contributions made by many scientists. Sir C.V. Raman brought about an
unprecedented change in Indian scientific thought, Dr. Homi J. Bhabha,
known as the father of our Nuclear Physics, predicted the future of Indian
science.
Dr. J.C. Bose, in the field of plant physiology, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, in the
field of atomic energy and industrialization and Dr. Abdul Kalam, in the
field of defense technology, brought about revolutionary changes to
reawaken the glory of Modern India.

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Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920)

Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan, one of India’s

greatest mathematical genius, was born at Erode
in Tamil Nadu on 22 December, 1887.

His love of mathematics was unusual. Numbers

seemed to draw him by a strange magnetism. In
school itself at the age of thirteen, he came across
a book called Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure
Mathematic by G. S. Carr which introduced him to the
world of mathematics. He started working and developing his own ideas
and became world famous for his findings.

Sir C. V. Raman (1888-1970)

Chandrasekhara V. Raman, popularly known as C.V.

Raman, was a great scientist won the Nobel Prize for
Physics in 1930.He was the first Asian to receive this
award. C.V. Raman was born on 7 November 1888 in
Tiruchirappalli, in Tamil Nadu. His father was a
professor of Physics and Mathematics. Even in his
childhood, he waspopular as a child genius.

On his journey to England, he was greatly attracted

by the blue colourof the sea. He was curious to know
why it remained blue even whenbig waves rolled up. Then he got the
intuitive flash that it was due to the breaking up of sun’s light by water
molecules and called it Raman Effect.

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937)

J.C. Bose another great scientist of modern India
brought glory and respect for the country. He was
born on 30 November,1858 at Mymensingh, now in
Bangladesh. He made an apparatus to study the
properties of electric waves. Dr. Bose is famous all
over the world asthe inventor of Crescograph that
can record even the millionth part of a millimeter of
plant growth and movement. Dr. Bose proved
through graphs taken by the Crescograph that plants
have a circulatory system too. He was the first to invent a wireless coherer
(radio signal detector) and an instrument for indicating the refractionof
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electric waves.
Homi Jehangir Bhabha (1909-1966)
Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was a great scientist.
He led India into atomic age. He is called the father
of Indian Nuclear Science. He was born on 30
October,1909 in a famous Parsi family.

In 1939, Dr. Bhabha joined the Indian Institute of

Sciences at Bangalore as a Reader at the request
of Dr. C.V. Raman. Soon he became a Professor
of Physics. It was here that he got the idea of
building a research institute for some of the new
areas of Physics.

He took a very bold decision and wrote a letter to Sir Dorab Ji

Tata suggesting that an institution should be established which wouldlay the
foundation of India as a world nuclear power. This institute would produce
its own experts and the country would not have to depend on outside
sources. As a result, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) was
started in 1945, at Dr. Bhabha’s ancestral home. India’s first atomic research
center now called Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) was established
at Trombay. India’s First atomic reactor, Apsara was also established
under his expert guidance. Bhabha became the first chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission set up in 1948. His studies in the field of atomic
energy are considered of great importance in international circles. He
servedas the chairman of international conference on peaceful uses of
atomic energy, supported by the United Nations. The Government ofIndia
honored him with Padma Bhushan.

Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971)

Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai is the great genius of

modern India. Heis known as the Father of India’s
Space Programs. He was the main personality behind
the launching of India’s first satellite Aryabhata. He
received his primary education at a school run by his
parents. Hestudied cosmic rays under the guidance
of Dr. C.V. Raman and received his Ph.D. degree from
Cambridge University.
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai established many institutes
which are of international repute. Most notable among them are Indian
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Institutesof Management (IIMS) which are considered world class for their
management studies.

He was the Chairman of the Indian National Commission for Space

Research (INCOSPAR) and of the Atomic Energy Commission. He directed
the setting up of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS). He
also made plans to take education to the villages through Satellite
communication. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the
Padma Vibhushan after his death.

DR. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM (1931 - 2015)

Dr. A.P.J .Abdul Kalam, the eleventh President of
India was born on15 October, 1931, in the island
town of Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu.
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest
civilian honour in 1997 for his contributions in the
field of science and engineering.

Dr. APJ Kalam served in Indian Space Research

Organization (ISRO) from 1963 to 1982. At Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre, hedeveloped the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV 3),
which put the satellite Rohini into orbit. In 1982, as Director, Defence
Research Development Organisation (DRDO), he was given the
responsibility of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
(IGMDP). He developed five projects for defence services - Prithvi, Trishul,
Akash, Nag and Agni. Heled India into an era of self-dependence. Agni,
which is a surface-to- surface missile, is a unique achievement. Its
successful launch made India, a member of the club of highly developed
countries.

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NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS OF INDIA

The Nobel Prize is one of the most important awards in the world. Nobel
Prizes are given each year in six subject areas. The areas are physics,
chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economics. Theprizes honor
people anywhere in the world who have done outstanding work in one of
these areas.
The Nobel prizes are named after Sir Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist. He
invented the explosive called dynamite. The invention made him rich. He
decided to use the money to honor people who helped humankind in some
way.

The first Nobel prizes were handed out on December 10, 1901, exactly five
years after Alfred Nobel’s death. At first there were onlyfive prizes. The
prize for economics was added to the list in 1969.

Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden and Peace Price is

awarded in Oslo, Norway.

Year Laureates Subject Origin

1913 Rabindranath Literature Citizen of India
Tagore
1930 C.V. Raman Physics Citizen of India
1998 Amartya Sen Economic Sciences Citizen of India
1979 Mother Teresa Peace Foreign born citizen
of India
1983 Subrahmanyan Physics Indian-born American
Chandrasekhar citizen
1968 Har Gobind Medicine Foreign citizen of
Khorana Indian origin
2001 V. S. Naipaul Literature Indian descendant
UK citizen
2009 Venkatraman Indian born American
Ramakrishnan Chemistry Citizen
2014 Kailash Satyarthi Peace Citizen of India

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 GREAT SCIENTISTS

GALIELO GALIELI
Galileo Galilei was a groundbreaking Italian
astronomer, physicist, mathematician,
philosopher and inventor. He opened the eyes of
the world to new way of thinking abouthow the
solar system work. For many years, scientists had
believed that the solar system revolved around
the Earth, and that the earth was the center of
the Universe. Galileo was the first scientist to
prove that this wasn’t correct. He stated that in fact, the solar system
revolved around the Sun. He also invented and improved telescope and
so that he could gaze far into space. Hewas the first to see Jupiter’s
moons, and the first to realise that our Moon was covered with craters.
Besides Scopes, he also invented thecompass and the thermometer.
Galileo has played a major role in the scientific revolution of the 17 th
Century.

BLAISE PASCAL
Blaise pascal was a 17th century French
philosopher and scientist who made important
contributions to math, science, and philosophy.
While he was still a teenager, Pascal became oneof
only two people who had developed and
constructed a working mechanical calculator.
As a mathematician, Pascal developed two
separate fields of math-projective geometry,
and probability theory. This Probability theory
was born out Pascal’s study of gambling problems and had an important
development of the impact on the modern-day economics.

In projective geometry, he developed that became known as Pascal’s

triangles, in which the sums of successive numbers built on themselves
to form the numbers built on themselves to form the numerical row
beneath.
Pascal ‘s scientific theories were important to understanding the
properties and volume of solids using cycloids. pascal was also an
expert in various languages, and a well – versed religious philosopher

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JOHANNES KEPLER
Johannes Kepler was a leading astronomer ofthe
scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution is the
term used to describe the emergence of modern
science that took placethroughout the 16th and 17th
centuries.
Before the scientific Revolution, astronomy was
closely tied to astrology, which is the belief that the
movement of the stars and planets can be interpreted to predict the
future.
As the scientific Revolution progressed, astrology increasingly came to
be replaced by astronomy as a modern, legitimate science.Johannes
Kepler is best known for his discovery that the orbits in which the Earth
and the other planets of the solar system travel around the sun are
elliptical or oval in shape.

He was also the first to explain correctly how human beings are ableto
see and demonstrated what happens to light when it enters a
telescope.
In addition, he designed an instrument that serves as the basis of the
modern refractive telescope. Since he was such a prominent figure in
the field of astronomy, a lot of spots on distant planets havebeen named
after him such as” Kepler’s Crater on Mars” and ‘The Kepler Crater’ on
the Moon.

SIR ISSAC NEWTON

Sir Issac Newton, an Englishman who lived in

the 17th century, is a scientific legend. He came
up with numerous theories and contributed
ideas to many different fields including
physics, mathematics, and philosophy.

In 1687, Newton published his book

philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica.
In it, he describes universal gravitation, and
the three laws of motion. It is widely regarded
to be one of the mostimportant books in the history of science. It is well

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known that his work on formulating a theory of gravitation was inspired
by watchingan apple falling from a tree.
During his lifetime, Newton developed a new type of mathematics
called calculus, and made breakthroughs in the area of optics such as
the reflecting telescope. He also discovered that white light is made up
of wide range of different colors.
Newton was a deep thinker with an insatiable curiosity to know
everything about everything he saw. His contributions are so
numerous, that he changed forever the way in which we look at the
world.

EDMOND HALLEY
Edmond Halley was an English Scientist who
became very interested in a comet that he sawin
1682. After being told that similar comet had
appeared in 1531 and 1607, he suspectedthat it
was the same comet that he had seen.By using the
laws of gravity discovered by hisfriend Sir Issac
Newton, Halley realized that he could predict when
it would return. Halleyworked out that the comet
would appear in our skies every 75 to 76 years.
He was correct in his prediction, but sadly when the comet did reappear,
he was no more, and he could not witness the confirmationhe had waited
for so eagerly. In his honors
, the comet was named after him.
Though he is remembered foremost as an astronomer, Halley also made
significant discoveries in the fields of geography, mathematics,meteorology,
and Physics. Halley was very close to Newton.

STEPHEN HAWKING
Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist and
cosmologist, is remarkable in many ways.
Despite challenging physical impairments, he has
contributed hugely to the world of science.
Hawking suffers from a type of motor neuron
disease that has left him almost completely
paralyzed. This did not stop him from workingon
the subject of black holes and providing theories
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for their behavior, including the idea that they emit radiation.

Hawking believed black holes to be celestial death traps that swallowed up

all energy. However, he determined there was room for this phenomenon,
through the merging of quantum theory, general relatively and
thermodynamics, distilling it all into one path in 1974.
Hawking wanted to write a book about the mysteries of the universethat
would connect with the public. This task seemed impossible afterhe lost the
abilities to write and speak. But Hawking did not give up,and his vision was
finally realized when his ‘A Brief History of Time’ became a best seller.

EDWIN HUBBLE

Willam Edwin Hubble, an American Astronomer,

made a huge impact on astronomy, and science in
general, by demonstrating that other galaxies,
besides our own Milky Way existed. Less than a
century ago, many scientists believed there was
just one galaxy the Milky Way.
On December 30th, 1924 Edwin Hubble announced
he had evidence that the Milky Way galaxy was just
oneof the galaxies in the universe.

Discovering that our galaxy wasn’t alone just the beginning for Hubble. He
continued measuring distances and velocities in deep space.
His findings published in 1929, led to the widely accepted notion thatthe
Universe is expanding. The well-known Hubble Space Telescopeis named
after Edwin Hubble.
The Hubble Space Telescope has provided valuable research data and
images since it was carried into orbit in 1990, leading to many
breakthroughs in the field of astrophysics.
Despite his accomplishments, Hubble never won the Nobel Prize in
physics, since at that time astronomers were not eligible for the award.
However, Edwin Hubble has received other accolades, however, bothan
asteroid and a Moon crater bear his name.

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JEAN LAMARCK
Jean Lamarck was one of the pioneers in the field of
biology. In fact, the very name ‘Biology’was coined
by this French naturalist.
He is best remembered for his theory of evolution.
According to this theory, the characteristics an
organism develops during itslifetime in response to
its environment are inherited by or passed on to its
offspring.
Lamarck was the first to use the term invertebrate
to describe animals without backbones. He began collecting fossils and
studying all sorts of simple species.
As a result of these studies, he was able to revise the classificationof lower
animals that had been unfinished by the Swedish biologistLinnaeus.
Lamarck’s study of invertebrates also led to the publication of his major
work ’The Natural History of Invertebrate Animals’ in 1815-22.

JOHN DALTON
John Dalton, a British Scientist, is probably best
known for his groundbreaking research and
contribution to two completely different fields-
atomic theory in chemistry. Theresearch had a
great impact on atomic theory. He created a
listing of atomic weight for six different
elements – hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon,
sulfur, and phosphorous.
Dalton’s interpretation of atomic theory
maintained that atoms are combined in chemical reactions, but also that
they can be separated and rearranged. Without doubt, it was John
Dalton’s atomic theory that laid the foundations of modern chemistry.

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ANDREW MARIE AMPERE

Andrew Marie Ampere was a French Physicist

and mathematician, who made the
revolutionary discovery that a wire carrying
electric current can attract or repelanother wire
next to it , which also carries electric current.
The attraction with a magnet is necessary for
the effect to be seen. Ampere went on to
formulate Ampere’s Law of electromagnetism
and produced the best definition of electric
current of his time.
He also proposed the existence of a particle we now reorganize as
the electron, discovered the chemical element fluorine, and grouped
elements by their properties.
In recognition of Ampere’s contribution to modern electrical science, the
‘ampere’ was established as a standard unit of electrical measurement
,in 1881,forty-five years after his death.

MICHAEL FARADAY
Michael faraday was a 19th century British
chemistand Physicist. He is often called the
father of electricity with good reason His
work on electrochemistry and
electromagnetism laid the foundation for
many areas of science. It was in 1831 that
Faraday discovered electromagnetic
induction, the principle behind the electric
transformer and generator.

This discovery was crucial in allowing electricity to be transformed froma

curiosity, into a powerful new technology. He was partly responsible for
coining many familiar words including ‘electrode’, ‘cathode’ and ‘ion’.
Faraday laid the basis of the electromagnetic field concept in physics,
discovered the laws of electrolysis, and invented electromagnetic rotary
device that were vital in the creation of electric motors. Faraday has thus
played a key role in the development of electricity for use in modern
technology

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CHARLES DARWIN

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who is best

known for his ideas on evolution.In 1831, Darwin
sailed on the HMS Beagle ,a naval survey ship.
Darwin’s job was to collect plant and animal
specimens from thecountries the ship visited. The
voyage took five years.

For Charles Darwin, the most important part of the

journey was the timeto spent in the Galapagos
islands which are the home to plants and animals
that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

On his return to England, Darwin started to piece together his theory of

natural selection which explained how populations evolved. In 1859,
Charles Darwin published his book ‘On The Orgin Of Spices’.
According to this theory all species of life have evolved over
time from common ancestors. Charles Darwin changed the way humans
viewed themselves.

JAMES PRESCOT JOULE FRS

James Prescott Joule FRS (24 December 1818 –

11 October 1889) was an English physicist and
brewer,born in Salford, Lancashire. Joule studied
the natureof heat and discovered its relationship
to mechanicalwork (see energy). This led to the
law of conservation ofenergy, which led to the
development of the first law of thermodynamics.
The SI derived unit of energy, the joule, is
named after James Joule.
He worked with Lord Kelvin to develop the
absolute scale of temperaturethe Kelvin. Joule also made observations of
magnetostriction, and he found the relationship between the current
through a resistor and the heat dissipated, which is now called Joule’s first
law.
In his early years, Joule proved that heat produced in a small
electromagnet built by him was from electrical energy, which was in turn,
generated by mechanical energy which powered the dynamo. The

23
principle of conservation of energy became the first law of
thermodynamics, a field of physics that Joule is referred to as the chief
founder.
Joule was the first person to calculate the speed of a molecule of gas,
about 457 meters a second for oxygen at average temperatures which laid
the foundations for the kinetic theory of gases in the future. Joule
recognized the need for standard units of electricity. In fact, the units of
energy is named ‘Joule’ in recognition of his contribution.

GREGOR JOHANN MENDEL

Gregor Johann Mendel was a German-speaking

Moravian-Silesian scientist and Augustinian friar
andabbot of St. Thomas’ Abbey in Brno who
gained posthumous fame as the founder of the
modern science of genetics.
Though farmers had known for centuries that
crossbreeding of animals and plants could favor
certain desirable traits, Mendel’s pea plant
experiments conducted between 1856 and 1863
established many of the rules of heredity, now
referred to as the laws of Mendelian inheritance.

Mendel worked with seven characteristics of pea plants: plant height, pod
shape and color, seed shape and color, and flower position and color.
With seed color, he showed that when a yellow pea and a green pea were
bred together their offspring plant was always yellow. However, in the
next generation of plants, the green peas reappeared at a ratio of 1:3. To
explain this phenomenon, Mendel coined the terms “recessive” and
“dominant” in reference to certain traits. (In the preceding example, green
peas are recessive and yellow peas are dominant.) He published hiswork
in 1866, demonstrating the actions of invisible “factors”—now called
genes— in providing for visible traits in predictable ways. The profound
significance of Mendel’s work was not recognized until the turn of the20th
century (more than three decades later) with the independent rediscovery
of these laws.[5] Erich von Tschermak, Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and
William Jasper Spillman independently verified several of Mendel’s
experimental findings, ushering in the modern age of genetics.

24
ALEXANDERF FLEMING
Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist,
pharmacologist, and botanist, made history with the
discovery of penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic
substance in 1928.
Fleming was studying deadly bacteria when hemade
his awesome discovery, quite byaccident. He had
unintentionally left open thecover of bacteria culture
plate with which he was working when he went away
on a holiday.
When he returned, he noticed that a
mould had formed on the exposed culture. What interested him wasthe
fact that in the area surrounding the mould, the bacteria had disappeared.
He kept a strain of the mold alive and began testing it on laboratory
animals. With further experimentation, Fleming established that this
mould, that he named penicillin, could destroy many types of bacteria, such
as the ones responsible for scarlet fever,meningitis, and diphtheria. Fleming
published his research on penicillin, with two other scientists. However,
Florey and Ernst Boris Chain discovered how to isolate the penicillin and
increase its potential. These findings were used to mass-produce penicillin
in order to treat wounded soldiers during World War II, thus saving millions
of lives.

THOMAS EDISON

Thomas Edison’s story is truly an inspiring

one. Hestruggled at school but loved reading
andconducting experiments. The American
inventor began sending and receiving
messages via Morse code- electronically
conveyed alphabet using different clicks for
each letter at the age of 15. Later, he
invented a version of the telegraph that
could send four messages at once In 1877,
Edison invented the phonograph. The
phonograph was a machine that recorded
and played back sounds. He perfected the phonograph by recording ‘Mary
had a Little lamb’ on a piece of foil In 1878 Edison invented the light bulb,
as well as the power grid system which could generate electricity, and
deliver it to homes through a network of wires.

25
Edison registered 1093 patents in the US as he continues to invent
products. He made significant contributions to storage batteries and
motion pictures. His inventions changed the world forever, and Edison
remains a colossus in the field of science to day.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

Alexander Graham Bell was an influential

scientist, engineer, and inventor who is
considered to be the inventor of the first
practical telephone. Bell’s mother and wife were
both deaf, and this motivatedhis research on
hearing and speech.
Bell experimented with sound, working with
devices such as ‘harmonic telegraph’, that is
used to send multiple messages over a single
wire.
While trying to discover the secret to
transmitting multiple messages on a single wire. Bell heard the sound of
plucked string alongsome of the electrical wire. This was caused because
one of Bell’s assistants. Thomas A Watson was trying to reactivate a
transmitter. It made Bell believe he could send the sound of a human voice
over the wire.

After receiving a patent on March 7th , 1876, for transmitting sound alonga
single wire, he successfully transmitted human speech on March 10.
Bells’ first words with the working telephone were spoken to his assistant
Watson. They were “Mr. Watson come here I want to see you”.
Bell also had a strong interest in other scientific fields, conducting medical
research, searching for alternative fuel sources, developing hydrofoil
watercraft and much more.

26
ALBERT EINSTEIN

Albert Einstein was an intellectual giant whose

scientific achievements influenced the philosophy of
science forever.
Born in Germany, he made some contributionsto the
field of theoretical physics, and 1921, won a Nobel
Prize for his work in this field.
In 1905 he began publishing the componentsof his
Special Theory of Relativity, in which he
demonstrated that time was relative to the speed at
which the observer was travelling.
The essence of Einstein’s Special Theory of relativity was that if matter
is converted into energy, then energy released can be shownin the simple
formula E= MC2 where C represents the velocity of light,Ethe energy and M
the mass.
In 1915 Einstein rocked the world with his General Theory ofRelativity. It
explained a lot of how time and distance may change due to the ‘relative’
or different speed of the objects and the observer. Einstein became famous
overnight, and all of a sudden, hewas showered with honors from all over
the world!
Einstein’s vision and his theories of relativity and quantum physics
are with our doubt, the hallmarks of a scientific genius.

JJ THOMPSON

JJ Thomson, an English physicist, took science

to new heights with his 1897 discovery of the
electron, the subatomic particle.
When Thomson began his research career, it
was thought that atoms were the smallest
particles. Nobody had a clear picture of how
atoms might look. It was already known that
atoms were associated in some way with
electric charges.
In 1897 aged 40, Thomson carried out a now famous experiment with
a cathode ray tube. His experiment proved the existence of a new
fundamental particle that was much smaller than the atom. It was
named the electron.
27
In discovering the electron, Thomson also moved towards theinvention
of an immensely important tool for chemical analysis the mass
spectrometer.
Then in 1912 Thomson discovered that stable elements
could exists as isotopes are different forms of the same element that
exist with different atomic masses.
J J Thomson was awarded the Nobel prize for Physics in 1906.

MARIE CURIE
She was the first woman to win the Nobel prize
twice. Marie’s research was the field of
radioactivity.

With the help of her husband Pierre Curie, she

made numerous scientific discoveries; including
one showing that radiation did indeed come
from the atom itself.

The 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to

Marie and Pierre aswell as Henri Becquerel for
their work in radiation. In 1911, Marie Curie was awarded another
Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, for her discovery of radium and
polonium, and subsequent research.
Marie curie became internationally famous, and scientists came from
around the world to study radioactivity with her. The Curie institute in
Paris founded by Marie in 1921 is still a major cancer research facility
to this day.

28
 ASTRONAUTS OF INDIAN ORIGIN

WING COMMANDER RAKESH SHARMA

The AC, Hero of the Soviet Union, (born 13 January

1949) is a former Indian Air Force test pilot who flew
aboard Soyuz T-11 as part of the Inter cosmos
program. Sharma was the first Indian to travel in
space.

Sharma joined the Indian Air Force in 1970 as apilot

officer after joining the NDA as an IAF cadet in 1966. He spent eight days
in space on board the Salyut 7 space station. He joined 2 other Soviet
cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz T-11spacecraft which blasted off on 2 April
1984.

In 1984 he became the first citizen of India to go into space when he flew
aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11. He was conferred with thehonour of
Hero of Soviet Union upon his return from space. The Government of India
conferred its highest gallantry award (during peace time), the Ashoka
Chakra on him and the other two Soviet members of his mission.
He retired with the rank of Wing Commander. He joined the Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited in 1987 and served as Chief Test Pilotin the HAL Nashik
Division until 1992, before moving on to Bangaloreto work as the Chief Test
Pilot of HAL. He retired from test flying in 2013..

KALPANA CHAWLA

Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 – February 1,

2003) was born in Karnal, India. She was the first
Indian American astronaut and first Indian woman
in space. Kalpana Chawla completed her earlier
schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Sec.School,
Karnal.
As a small child, when teachers asked pupils to
draw a picture, Kalpana would draw stars and
spaceships while other children drew flowers or trees. Kalpana, as a
student of Tagore Baal Niketan, was interested in flying. She was

29
fascinated by airplanes and preferred to make them in the crafts-class.
Kalpana’s favorite topic in drawing class was airplanes. Once she prepared
a project on environment in which she made huge, colorfulcharts and
models depicting the sky and stars. Signs of her interest in space were
present in this project as well as in others.
After completing her higher education, she joined the NASA and firstflew
on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary
robotic arm operator.
Chawla was the first Indian-born woman and the second Indian person to
fly in space. Chawla died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which
occurred on February 1, 2003, Kalpana Chawla lived her dream, she will
always be remembered for inspiring millions of youths across the globe.

SUNITA WILLIAMS
Sunita Williams Pandya (born September 19, 1965).
She holds the records for longest single space flight
by a woman (195 days), total spacewalks by a
woman (seven), and most spacewalk time for a
woman (50 hours, 40 minutes). She was assigned as
a backup crew member for Expedition 30 to the
International Space Station, was a crew member of
Expedition 32, which launched in July 2012, and then
became the Commander of Expedition 33, which
began in September 2012.

30
 INDIA IN SPACE
The dream and realisation of spaceflight - For thousands of years,
humans have curiously gazed at the night sky and dreamt oftravelling to
space and explore the distant heavenly bodies there. But, that long
cherished dream became a reality only after they developed large rockets
capable of carrying satellites and humans tospace. After reaching space,
those rockets were powerful enough tomake satellites, robotic spacecraft
or spacecraft carrying humans to either to circle the earth or proceed
towards other worlds of our solarsystem.
The uniqueness of the Indian space programme - India is one of the
few countries that have taken up the challenge of exploring space and
utilising space for the benefits of common man. For this, the country has
developed various technologies which few other countries have done.

India’s achievements in space today are the result of the foresightedness

of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, one of the greatest sons of India. Sarabhai was a
great dreamer and showed the path to realise those dreams. He had firm
belief in the power of space technology to bring about rapid and overall
development of India.

Prof Satish Dhawan, who succeeded Dr Sarabhai as the head of the Indian
space programme, made immense contributions to Indian space
programme by assigning great importance to developing and mastering
space technologies through indigenous efforts. He also laidemphasis on the
involvement of the Indian industry to meet the needs of the country’s space
programme. Prof U R Rao, Dr K Kasturirangan, Dr. G Madhavan Nair and
Dr K Radhakrishnan, who succeeded Prof Dhawan, have made their own
unique contributions to the Indian space programme.
The beginning - Though India today is considered as one of the
prominent countries conducting many space activities, the Indian space
programme began in a modest way with the formation of the Indian
National Committee on Space Research by the Government ofIndia in 1962.
The programme formally began on November 21, 1963with the launch of a
28 feet long American ‘Nike-Apache’ Sounding Rocket from Thumba, near
Thiruvananthapuram. It carried a small French payload (scientific
instrument) to study the winds in the upperatmosphere. Sounding rockets
are small research rockets that carry instruments to study upper
atmosphere and space. They cannot launch satellites.

31
India’s space capabilities- Indian space research organisation,
which is widely known as ‘ISRO’, is the agency which implements the
country’s space programme on behalf of the India’s Department of Space.
ISRO came into existence in 1969, the same year humans set foot on the
moon for the first time.

Various centres of ISRO are now spread all over India. They includeVikram
Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), situated in Thiruvananthapuram, which
designs huge rockets capable of launching large satellites. In the same city
is the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) that develops liquid rocket
engines and the more efficient and highly complex cryogenic rocket
engines. Bangalore can be called as the space city of India. It has got many
space related facilities including the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), which
builds Indian satellites are launched into space with a firm purpose like
relaying the telephone calls, telecasting TV programs, taking weather
pictures of the Earth or observing distant heavenly bodies. Instruments in
a satellite which perform these useful tasks are called payloads. ISRO’s
Space Applications Centre at Ahmedabad develops such payloads for
satellites.

National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) is another important centre

of ISRO. It is situated in Hyderabad and performs the important task of
receiving the pictures sent by India’s remote sensing satellites in the form
of radio waves. NRSC also processes those pictures to make them accurate
and show details clearly. The centre also systematically stores those
pictures and distributes themin India.
The island of Sriharikota in the Bay of Bengal has ISRO’s Satish Dhawan
Space Centre and it is the spaceport of India. Sriharikota liesabout 80 km to
the North of Chennai and lies in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh state.

This is the place from where 38 Indian built rockets have lifted off (as on
April 2013) and have travelled towards space. Some of them have launched
not one but many satellites during a single launch. Sriharikota has vast
facilities to manufacture large solid propellant (fuel-oxidiser combination)
rockets as well as to test them. It also has facilities to assemble huge
satellite launch vehicles as well as tolaunch and track them.

Into the satellite era - In the 1970s, India took a giant leap
into space with the launch of its first satellite Aryabhata, named afterthe
famous ancient Indian astronomer, the satellite weighed 360 kgat the time
of its launch.
32
Before learning more about Aryabhata satellite, let us learn about the
specialty of space, the place where Aryabhata revolved round the earth
and thousands of artificial satellites still do.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, ISRO scientists also built Rohini series of
satellites and gained additional experience in building satellites. Rohini
satellites were launched by India’s first indigenous launch vehicle SLV-3.
Satellite as a catalyst of development - In the early 1980s, the power of
the artificial earth satellites to bring a about phenomenal growth in India’s
television broadcasting and telecommunication sectors was glaringly
demonstrated by a satellite called Indian National Satellite -1B (INSAT-1B).
It was the second satellite in the INSAT-1 series. Because of the failure of
its predecessor INSAT-1A, Indian space scientists were very much
concerned, but INSAT-1B brought in a major revolution in India’s
telecommunications, television broadcasting and weather forecasting
sectors in a very short and unthinkable time.
Eyes in the sky - So, what are these remote sensing satellites? Whatdo
they do? How are they useful to the society? Satellites carrying very
sensitive cameras or radars and circling the earth in space hundreds of
kilometers high are known as remote sensing satellites.
Quenching the thirst for knowledge - Communication satellites,
weather satellites and remote sensing satellites are those that makeour life
easy, interesting and safe. In addition to this, ISRO scientistshave built
scientific satellites that quench the human thirst for knowledge, especially
to understand our universe.

Giant leap to Moon - Chandrayaan-1 was launched on October 22, 2008

from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR in Sriharikota by India’s Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C11). On that day at 6:22am in the morning,
the 15-story high PSLV majestically rose into thesky on a bright pillar of
flame and quickly disappeared into the cloudysky.
With this success, India became the only fifth individual country to put a
spacecraft into an orbit around the moon after the United States, Soviet ussia,
Japan and China. Having succeeded in making Chandrayaan- 1 an artificial
satellite of the moon, ISRO scientistschanged its orbit many times.
Ultimately, Chandrayaan-1 startedorbiting the moon over its polar regions
at a height of about 100 kmfrom the lunar surface.

Coming back to India’s first indigenously built satellite launch vehicleSLV-3,

it had four stages assembled on top of one another. All thosefour stages
33
were solid rockets. The man who led the team of scientists and engineers
that built SLV-3 was A P J Abdul Kalam, who became the president of India
and has inspired millions of students of our country. SLV-3’s first launch
took place on August 10, 1979, but it was not a success.
But, instead of getting disheartened, ISRO scientists worked hard, found
out the problem responsible for that, solved it and readied that launch
vehicle within a year. On July 18, 1980, SLV-3 rose from Sriharikota Island
and sped towards the sky with a roar. About 11 minutes later, it placed the
Rohini RS-1 satellite into an orbit aroundthe earth. As that satellite started
circling the earth, India became the seventh country to launch its own
satellite after Soviet Union, United States, France, Japan, China and Britain.
After this, SLV-3 puttwo more Rohini satellites into orbit.
In the 1980s, ISRO built a more capable launch vehicle known as
Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV). But, ASLV was successful for
the first time only during its third flight in 1992 and launched SROSS-C
satellite into an orbit around the earth. Another SROSS satellite was
launched by ASLV in 1994.
Into the future - Today, the main purpose of building launch vehiclesis to
carry satellites, unmanned spacecraft and humans to space. ISRO is now
building heavier and more complex communication, weather and remote
sensing satellites capable of offering more services. Besides, it is developing
an independent navigation satellite system called Indian Regional
Navigation Satellite System. It will be capable of providing highly accurate
position, speed, direction, and time information to vehicles travelling on
land, sea and in the air. Such information can make their journey safer and
more fuel efficient.
ISRO Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that will orbit the moon and send small a
rover (robotic car) to the lunar surface in a Lander that will smoothly land
there. Also, to study the distant heavenly bodies in detail, ISRO is
developing a satellite called ASTROSAT and to

study the Sun, it is building Aditya satellite. Along with these, ISRO has
conducted studies on sending humans to space, the Gaganyaan missions.

34
 LUNAR

Start End
Mission Name Details
date date
Chandrayaan-1 was India's
first lunar probe. It was launched by
the Indian Space Research
Organization on 22 October 2008,and
operated until August 2009. The
mission included a lunar orbiter and
22
28 an impactor. The mission was a major
Chandrayaan-1 Oct
August boost to India's space program, as
2008
2009 India researched and developed its
own technology in order to explore
the Moon. The vehicle was
successfully inserted into lunar orbit
on 8 November 2008.[3][4]
Chand
rayan
Progra Orbiter Chandrayaan-2 was launchedfrom
m functiona the second launch pad at Satish
l; the Dhawan Space
lander Centre on 22 July 2019 at 2.43 PM
crashed IST (09:13 UTC) to the Moonby a
onto Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
22 Moon's Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III). The
Chandrayaan-2
July surface planned orbit has a perigee of 169.7
2019 due to km and an apogee of 45475 km. It
loss of consists of a lunar orbiter, lander and
control rover, all developed in India. The
during main scientific objective is to mapthe
the final location and abundance of lunar
phase of water.
descent.

35
INTER PLANNERY

Mission End
Start date Detail
Name date
s
Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called
Mangalyaan, is
a spacecraft orbiting Mars since 24
September 2014. It was launched on 5
November 2013 by the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO). It is
Mars Orbiter 5
India's first interplanetary mission and
Mission November Ongoing
ISRO has become the fourth space
2013
agency to reach Mars, after the Soviet
space program, NASA, and the European
Space Agency. India is the first Asian
nation to reach Mars orbit, and the first
nation in the world to do so in its first
attempt.

ASTRONOMY

Mission Start End

Details
Name date date

ASTROSAT is the first dedicated Indian

Astronomy satellite mission launched
by ISRO on 28 September 2015, which
enabled multi- wavelength
observations of thecelestial bodies and
cosmic sources in X-ray and UV
28 spectral bands simultaneously. The
ASTROSAT September Ongoing scientific payloads cover the Visible
2015 (3500– 6000 Å...), UV (1300–op Å...),
soft
and hard X-ray regimes (0.5–8 keV; 3–
80 keV). The uniqueness of ASTROSAT
lies in its wide spectral coverage
extending over visible, UV, soft and
hard X-ray regions.

36
These are the scientific movements across the globe to develop self-
sustainability in the economies of advancement through science.

1. White Revolution: Refers to the improving the productionof Milk

and Dairy products
2. Blue Revolution: Refers to the improving the productionof Fishing
and marine products
3. Yellow revolution: Refers to the improving the production ofOil
seeds/edible oil especially mustard, sunflower etc.
4. Pink Revolution: Refers to the improving production of Prawns,
onion
5. Rainbow Revolution: Refers to the improving the productionof
Fruits/breeding of ornamental fish
6. Brown Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency of
Cocoa/Leather
7. Black Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency ofPetroleum
8. Grey Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency ofFertilizer
9. Red Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency ofMeat,
tomato
10. Round Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency ofPotato
11. Golden Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency ofHoney,
Horticulture
12. Golden fibre Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency of
Jute

13. Silver Revolution: Refers to improve the self-sufficiency of Eggs

(Poultry)

14. Green Revolution: Refers to improve the production of crops

37
INDIAN NOBEL LAUREATES
The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in a
number of categories by Swedish and Norwegian committees in
recognition of cultural and/or scientific advances. The will of the Swedish
inventor Alfred Nobel established the prizes in 1895. The prizes in
Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine Literature, and Peace were
first awarded in 1901. The related Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic
Sciences was created in 1968. The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo,
Norway, while the other prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. The
Nobel Prize is widely regarded as the most prestigious award available
in the fields of literature, medicine, physics, chemistry, peace, and
economics. The various prizes are awarded yearly. Each recipient, or
laureate, receives a gold medal, a diploma and a sum of money, which
is decided by the Nobel Foundation. A prize may not be shared among
more than three people.

Year Laureates Subject Origin

1902 Ronald Ross Medicine for his work Foreign citizen
in Malaria born in India
1907 Rudyard Kipling Literature Foreign citizen
born in India
1913 Rabindranath Tagore Literature for his song Citizen of India
Offerings called Gitanjali
1930 C.V. Raman Physics for Raman Effect Citizen of India
1968 Har Gobind Khorana For Physiology - Medicine
“interpretation of the
Genetic code and itsfunction Foreign citizen

in protein synthesis” of Indian origin

1979 Mother Teresa Peace for her work in Foreign born
helping the suffering – citizen of India
The missionaries of
Charity
1979 Abdus Salam Physics Indian-born
Pakistani citizen
1983 Subrahmanyan Physics, for his theoretical Indian-born
Chandrasekhar studies of the physical American citizen
processes of importance to
the structure and evolution
38
 of the stars.”
1998 Amartya Sen Economic Sciences , “for Citizen of India
his contributions to
welfare economics.
2001 V. S. Naipaul Literature Indian
descendant
UK citizen
2006 Muhammad Yunus Peace Indian-born
Bangladeshi
citizen
2009 Venkatraman Chemistry, for studies of Indian born
Ramakrishnan the structure and function American Citizen
of the ribosome”
2014 Kailash Satyarthi For Peace – For his Citizen of India
contribution towards child
welfare and education

Space Exploration -Abbreviations and Definitions

Abbreviations Definitions

NACA National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

AIIMS All India Institute of Medical SciencesAEC

Atomic Energy Commission

ARIES Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Sciences

BARC Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

CDRI Central Drug Research Institute CMRI

Central Mining Research InstituteCNG
Compressed Natural Gas

CSIR Council of Scientific & Industrial ResearchDAE

Department of Atomic Energy

39
DCM Digital Cartographic Model

DIT Department of Information Technology

DRDO Defense Research & Development Organisation DSIR

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

DSM Defense Series Maps

ESA European Space Agency

IARI Indian Agricultural Research InstituteIAS

Indian Academy of Sciences

IISC Indian Institute of Science

ISRO Indian Space Research OrganisationLPG

Liquified Petroleum Gas

NGRI National Geophysical Research InstituteNIC

National Informatics Centre

NIO National Institute of OceanographyNIT

National Institute of Technology NMR
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

NACA National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

ONGC Oil & Natural Gas Corporation

RRI Raman Research InstituteSAIL

Steel Authority of India

40
TIFR Tata Institute of Fundamental Research UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural

Organisation

VSSC Vikram Sarabhai Space Center

41
 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT SCIENCE

Science - Experiments are carried out for providing the ideas formed
through observations. So, Science helps in forming ideas about the world.
Observations does not mean, that you only see the objects; itis done by
using all your senses. Science has made our life very easyand comfortable.

Science has given us automatic machines that have reduced our workload.
There are different branches of science such as Biology, Astronomy,
Medicine, Geology and Chemistry. The person who studies any branch of
science in detail, and specializes in any field ofscience, is called a Scientist.
Materials and Structure - We see different things in our daily life. These
things are made from different materials. A chair made up of
wood, and a plastic bucket, have their own shape and structure.
Different materials have different physical appearance. All metals have
their own properties. Some metals are strong and some are soft. Some
metals can stand up to heat. Often metals are hard, shinymaterials. Things
are strong or soft according to the way they are put together. This is called
structure.

All materials are found in three states- liquid, solid and gas. A liquid does
not have its own shape. It takes the shape of container that holds it. A
solid can be either hard or soft. A solid keeps its shape. Aliquid material
runs, if it is poured down. A gaseous material escapeseasily even if in a
container and spreads out all over the room. Somematerials can change
their shape from one form to another. Water isliquid when taken from tap.
When you boil the steam cool, steam again and again, like wax. Then we
heat wax, it melts. When we coolit, it turns solid. But when we bake some
material to prepare cake, we cannot convert cake back to its liquid solution.
Change of one material from its one state to another depends on its
temperature and pressure.
Light –Colour - Sun is the major source of energy. All the energy we
need, comes from the Sun. Sun produces heat and energy. Thereare many
other sources of light such as light bulbs. Sunlight seems to be colourless
or white. But in reality, there are many colours mixedtogether in it. There
are not visible directly, but these colours can be seen in a rainbow.
When sunlight passes through raindrops, it splits up into Red, Orange,
Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigoand Violet colours. All things absorb some of the
colours, and let theother colors to bounce off. This makes them different in
colour.
42
Shadow- Reflection - A shadow is made where the light does notreach.
On a sunny day, you can observe your shadow at midday andlate in the
afternoon. The length of the shadow depends on the angleat which the light
is hitting you. Light waves travel in straight lines. They cannot bend around
things. If something gets in the way of a light wave, it blocks the light and
casts a shadow. The Earth spins asit goes around the sun.

This makes outdoor shadows pint in different directions and changelength

at different times of the day. Your shadow is always longer inthe early
morning and late afternoon. At midday, or noon, the Sun ishigh in the sky,
and your shadow is very short. There are many shinysurfaces that reflect
light. You can see your reflection in any empty saucepan.

Sound - Sound is another form of energy. All sounds happen because

something is vibrating or moving backwards and forwards very quickly.
Sound travels in waves. We hear a humming sound because the pattern of
molecules moving through the air hits our eardrum and makes it vibrate
too.

These vibrations produce tiny vibrations of electricity that travel alongnerves

to the brain. Now the brain understands these pulses as sound. Sound
waves travel much faster through solids and liquids than it does through
air. Sound waves need to have something to move through. Sound travels
through air at a speed of about 1224 kilometers an hour. Sound waves
cannot be seen, but we can see their effects.
Electricity - Television, radio, hi-fi music systems, computers, videogames
and electric light, have become a major part of our life. Without electricity,
all these things would not have worked. There are two types of electricity.
Static electricity can be sometimes seenin darkness, as tiny flashes of
electricity, which comes when nylon rubs against another material.
There are two unlike charges of static electricity- Positive andNegative.
Storm clouds are charged with static electricity. These e ectric charges
can also flow through your body. If you sit
on a chair, rub your rubber soled shoes on the carpet, and then touch
something metal, you may feel a tiny electric shock. This is becauseof the
electric charges flowing through your body.
Current electricity is generated or made at a power station. This electricity
can travel from a battery or a power station, to where it isneeded. Cables
that are used to carry current electricity, are either carried overhead on
pylons, or buried under the ground.

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Magnet – A magnet attracts, or pulls, some materials towards it. This is
called magnetism and the materials are magnetic. Only the metals iron,
nickel, and cobalt can be magnetized on their own. So, everything cannot
be magnetic. Materials like paper pin, hair pin, ironclutch, an iron key etc.,
are attracted towards a magnet, when it is put near them.
Backward -Forward - When we push or pull something, the thingmoves.
Pushing and pulling are forces. It is because of these forces,that a thing
can be made to start to move, speed up, slow down, change direction or
stop moving. Every force has another force thatpushes in the opposite
direction.

Gravity and Weight - Gravity is a force of the Earth that pulls everything
towards its centre. It is the reason why things always falldown and not up.
The moon circles around the Earth, keeping the same distance from it, and
travelling at the same speed. As there isno friction in the space, once a
thing is going at a certain speed, it will continue moving at the same speed,
forever. It is the strong gravitational pull of the Earth that keeps it at the
same distance fromthe Earth. Weight is a measure of the pull of gravity on
you, and is measured in Newtons, because it is a force. To convert your
mass into your weight, you multiply it by the pull of the Earth and give your
answer in Newtons. If your mass is 50kg, then your weight is about500
Newtons.
Energy - Energy takes various forms such as light, heat, electricity and
sound. The major source of energy is the Sun. This energy provides heat
and light for plants to grow, to keep you warm, and let you see. All living
things get their energy from the Sun. Plants use thesun’s energy to grow.
Grass uses sunlight to make food. Cows use energy from the grass to make
milk. We drink milk that gives us energy.

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 FACTS ABOUT ROCKETS
What is a Rocket?
Rocket is a tall, thin, round vehicle with engines which is used to transport,
satellites and things to space. They think of a rocket thatlaunches into
space. “Rocket” can mean a type of engine.
How Does a Rocket Engine Work?
Like most engines, rockets burn fuel. Most rocket engines turn the fuel into
hot gas. The engine pushes the gas out its back. The gas makes the rocket
move forward.
Our Rockets are also Fairly Big
India has designed and flown Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV).GSLV has put our communication satellite INSAT- 4CRinto orbit.

India’s star Performing Rocket

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV for short, is the starperformer in
ISRO rocket family. PSLV is capable of launching 1600 kg satellites in 620
km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite in geo-synchronous
transfer orbit.
The Launch Pads
Launch pad is from where a rocket takes off. In India the first launchpad
was a very small one built in Thumba in 1963 to launch the firstrocket from
India. This is a historic monument of Indian Space Programme. India’s
Launch Pad is at Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradeshon the banks of Bay of
Bengal.
Satellites
In astronomy, satellite is a body that orbits a planet. There are natural
satellites such as the moons and artificial (man-made) satellites such as
communication satellites and space stations. Thereare approximately3000
satellites currently in earth’s orbits. Some of them are very small; some are
dead, some are discarded. The largestone now is the International Space
Station.
Space Stations
Space Stations are large floating laboratories in orbit. A space station
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contains accommodation for the crew, laboratory space for doing work
and a place for visiting spacecraft to dock when they receive astronauts or
supplies. World’s first space station is Salyut
– 1, which was launched by the USSR in 1971. The largest of spacestations
is the international Space Station, ISS, where men and women astronauts
carry out research in various disciplines.

Major Space Exploring Agencies

NASA (National Aeronautics and

Space Administration) –USA

Russian Federal Space Agency

– Russia

EuropeanSpace Agency(ESA)

ISRO
(Indian Space Research Organization)

The various scientific Movements across the globe that has resultedin the
self-sufficiency of nations and life of the individuals

GREEN REVOLUTION:
The term Green Revolution refers to the renovation of agricultural practices
beginning in Mexico in the 1940s M.S. Swaminathan is known as the “Father
of the Green Revolution in India”. The methodsadopted included the use of
high yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds.

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WHITE REVOLUTION:
‘Operation flood’ a program started by National Dairy Development Board
(NDDB) in 1970 made India the largest producer of the milk in the world.
It is popularly known as ‘The White Revolution’. The main architect of this
successful project was Dr. Verghese Kurien,
BLUE REVOLUTION:
Blue Revolution primarily refers to the management of water resources that
can steer humanity to achieve drinking water and irrigation security. The
aim of Blue Revolution is to rapidly increase fish production in small ponds
and water bodies

YELLOW REVOLUTION:
Refers to Self-sufficiency in oilseeds would have a great impact on
agriculture and the economy.

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 WORLD SPACE WEEK (WSW)

The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space
Week (WSW) will be held each year from October 4-10. WorldSpace Week
is an international celebration of science and technology, and their
contribution to the betterment of the human condition. Thedates were in
recognition of the October 4, 1957 launch of the first human-made Earth
satellite, Sputnik 1, thus opening the way for space exploration and the
October 10, 1967 signing of the Treaty onPrinciples Governing the Activities
of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the
Moon and Other CelestialBodies.
World Space Week is an international celebration of science and
technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human
condition. World Space Week aims to:
 Provide unique leverage in space outreach and education.
 Educate people around the world about the benefitsthat they receive
from space.
 Encourage greater use of space for sustainable economic
development.
 Demonstrate public support for space programs.
 Excite young people about science, technology,engineering, and
math.
 Foster international cooperation in space outreach andeducation.
WHERE AND HOW IS WORLD SPACE WEEK CELEBRATED?
During World Space Week space education and outreach events are
organized by space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetaria,
museums, and astronomy clubs around the world.

WORLD SPACE WEEK 2016

This year, the World Space Week Association have selected “Remote
Sensing: Enabling our Future” as a theme for WSW. These dates
commemorate two events:
 October 4, 1957: Launch of the first human- made Earth satellite,Sputnik
1, thus opening the way for space exploration
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 October 10, 1967 : The signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing
the Activities of States in the Exploration and PeacefulUses of Outer
Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.

SPUTNIK- :The first artificial satellite

The Sputnik 1 spacecraft was the first artificial satellite successfully placed
in orbit around the Earth and was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome at
Tyuratam (370 km southwest of the small town of Baikonur) in Kazakhstan,
then part of the former Soviet Union. The Russian word ”Sputnik” means
”companion” (“satellite” in the astronomical sense).

In 1885 Konstantin Tsiolkovsky first described in his book, Dreams ofEarth

and Sky, how such a satellite could be launched into a low
altitude orbit. It was the first of a series of four satellites as part of the
Sputnik program of the former Soviet Union and was planned as a
contribution to the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958). Three of
these satellites (Sputnik 1, 2, and 3) reached Earth orbit. The Sputnik 1
satellite was a 58.0 cm-diameter aluminum sphere thatcarried four whip-like
antennas that were 2.4-2.9 m long. The antennas looked like long
“whiskers” pointing to one side. The spacecraft obtained data pertaining to
the density of the upper layersof the atmosphere and the propagation of
radio signals in the ionosphere. The instruments and electric power sources
were housed in a sealed capsule and included transmitters operated at
20.005 and 40.002 MHz (about 15 and 7.5 m in wavelength), the emissions
taking place in alternating groups of 0.3 s in duration. The down link
telemetry included data on temperatures inside and on thesurface of the
sphere. Since the sphere was filled with nitrogen underpressure, Sputnik 1
provided the first opportunity for meteoroid detection (no such events were
reported), since losses in internal pressure due to meteoroid penetration
of the outer surface would have been evident in the temperature data. The
satellite transmittersoperated for three weeks, until the on-board chemical
batteries failed.
What is satellite remote sensing?
In satellite remote sensing of the earth, the sensors are looking through a
layer of atmosphere separating the sensors from the Earth’s surface being
observed.
Hence, it is essential to understand the effects of atmosphere on
the electromagnetic radiation travelling from theEarth to the sensor

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through the atmosphere.

We perceive the surrounding world through our five senses. Some senses
(touch and taste) require contact of our sensing organs withthe objects.
However, we acquire much information about oursurrounding through the
senses of sight and hearing which do not require close contact between
the sensing organs and the external objects. In another word, we are
performing Remote Sensing all thetime.

Uses of Remote Sensing

 Determining soil moisture content using active and passivesensors
from space.
 Mapping with laser precision using Light Detection andRanging
technology.
 Spinning the globe with mapping services like Google Earth,Bing
Maps and Open Street Maps.
 Snapping aerial photos for military surveillance usingmessenger
pigeons in World War II.
 Doing the detective work for fraudulent crop insurance claims.
 Searching for aircrafts and saving lives after fatal crashes.
 Detecting oil spills for marine life and environmentalpreservation.
 Identifying forest stands and tallying their area toestimate forest
supplies.
 Navigating ships safely with the most optimal route.
 Measuring wind speed and direction for wind farms,weather
forecasting and surfers.
 Spying on enemies with reconnaissance satellites.
 Delineating and assessing the health of riparian zones toconserve
lakes and rivers.
 Estimating surface elevation with the Shuttle RadarTopography
Mission.
 Extracting mineral deposits with hyperspectral remote sensing.
 Watching algae growth as an indicator ofenvironmental health.
 Forecasting weather to warn about natural disasters.
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 Detecting land cover/use types for decision making.
 Mapping soil types for agriculture planning.
 Preventing the spread of forest disease types.

OZONE LAYER
The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth’s stratosphere that
absorbs most of the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It contains high
concentrations of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the
atmosphere, although still small in relation to other gases in the
stratosphere.

All about Ozone:

Like other environmental problems, Ozone Depletion is one that is very

troubling, and rightly so, considered as a major environmental issue by
all nations on the earth.
What is Ozone?

Ozone is a natural gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Its chemical

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symbol is O3. It is blue in color and has a strong odor. Normal oxygen
(O2), which we breathe, has two oxygen atoms andis colorless and
odorless. Environmental scientists have classified O3into two: Good
Ozone and Bad Ozone.
Good Ozone
Good ozone (also called Stratospheric Ozone) occurs naturally in the
upper Stratosphere. The stratosphere is the layer of space 6 to 30 miles
above the earth’s surface.
The good Ozone come from
The air is full of gases reacting with each other, even though our eyes
do not see. When UV light strikes (Oxygen) O2 molecules, theyare split
into two individual O atoms — O and O. When one of the Oatoms
combine with O2 molecule, ozone (O3) is created.
Bad Ozone
Bad Ozone is also known as Tropospheric Ozone, or ground level
ozone. This gas is found in the troposphere, the layer that
forms the immediate atmosphere. Bad Ozone does not exist naturally.

Human actions cause chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen

(NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC).
The bad ozone comes from?

Each time there is a reaction of chemicals such as those found in cars,

power plants and factory emissions, in the presence of sunlight (UV
light), Bad Ozone is created. Bad ozone contaminates (dirties) the airand
contributes to what we typically experience as “smog” or haze.
Ozone Depletion
Ozone layer depletion is simply the wearing out (reduction) of the
amount of ozone in the stratosphere. Unlike pollution, which has many
types and causes, Ozone depletion has been pinned down to one major
human activity.
Industries that manufacture things like insulating foams, solvents,
soaps, cooling things like Air Conditioners, Refrigerators and ‘Take-
Away’ containers use something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
These substances are heavier than air, but over time, (2-5years) theyare
carried high into the stratosphere by wind action.

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How Ozone Depletion Affects UV Levels?
Depletion of the ozone layer has consequences on humans, animalsand
plants. This typically results from higher UV levels reaching us on earth.

Humans

Research confirms that high levels of UV Rays cause non- melanoma

skin cancer. Additionally, it plays a major role in malignantmelanoma
development. UV is also linked to cataracts (a disease ofthe eye which
clouds the eye’s lens).

Plants
The damage that extreme UV levels have on plants is one that our eyes
do not see much, but humans can feel the impact. Plant growth,as well
as its physiological and developmental processes are all affected
negatively. These include the way plants form, timing of
development and growth, distribution of plant nutrients and
metabolism, etc. These changes can have important implications
for plant competitive balance, animals that feed on these plants,
plant diseases, and biogeochemical cycles.
Marine (or water) Ecosystems
Phytoplankton form the foundation of aquatic food webs. These usually
grow closer to the surface of water, where there is enough sunlight.
Changes in UV levels is known to affect the development and growth
of phytoplankton, and naturally, the fish that feed on them. UV radiation
is also known to have effect on the developmentstages of fish, shrimp,
crab, amphibians and other animals. When this happens, animals in the
upper food chain that feed on these tinyfishes are all affected.

Effects on Biogeochemical Cycles

The power of higher UL levels affects the natural balance of gases (and
greenhouse gases) in the biosphere e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2),carbon
monoxide (CO), carbonyl sulfide (COS) and ozone. Changes in UV levels
can cause biosphere-atmosphere feedback resulting from the

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atmospheric buildup of these gases.

How to conserve Ozone Layer?

Ozone is a natural gas and is naturally replenished over time. This
means if we can do something to balance the natural production withits
depletion, then it should not be a problem. Unfortunately, it doesnot
work like that.
People ask if we cannot produce our own ozone gas to replenish what is
lost in the stratosphere. That’s a good question. The sun naturally
produces ozone with immense energy and over time. To do the same, we
will be looking at using immense energy too, about twice the energy
used in the USA. That is just not practical.

The only way to do that is to remove the excess chlorine and bromine
from the stratosphere. And the only way to do that is to stop making
CFCs and several other chemicals. This is why in the 1990s a meetingof
the worlds big nations met and agreed to reduce the usage of CFCsand
also encouraged other nations to do the same. That was decidedin the
Montreal Protocol.

This is not enough, but at least it was a good starting point. It is always
best to talk and discuss problems than to do nothing at all. This is why
learning about Ozone depletion, like you are doing, is themost important
step towards a safe environment in future.

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