11.Science2-60T Flashcards
- IT AND COMPUTER
5. 1. BIG DATA
Why in news?
• Big data is being increasingly used by the
government in policy formation.
What is Big Data?
• Big data is a term that describes the large
volume of data – both structured and
unstructured beyond the ability of commonly
used software tools to capture, curate,
manage, and process data within a tolerable
elapsed time.
• Big data can be analyzed for insights that lead
to better decisions and strategic business
moves.
• Big data is characterized by 4Vs – Variety,
Volume Velocity and Value. Additionally, two
more concepts have been added – Variability
and Complexity
• Interesting insights from big data can be got
using data mining.
Applications of Big Data
• Better understanding and targeting of
customers.
• Optimization of Businesses processes
• optimizing treatment and even predicting
diseases
• Analyze and improve the performance of
individuals
• Prevent cyber-attacks, detect credit card
fraud, foil terrorism and even predict criminal
activity.
• optimizing the heating or lighting in our
homes, the traffic flow in our cities, or the
energy grid across the country.
In the wake of challenges for Big data in India,
government had constituted a committee under Justice B.N. Srikrishna which came out with a
white paper on Data Protection Framework for
India. Earlier in 2016, CAG finalized a Big Data
Management Policy to make itself future ready.
Data mining
• It’s defined as a process used to extract usable
data from a larger set of any raw data by
analysing data patterns in large batches of data
using one or more software
• It involves effective data collection and
warehousing as well as computer processing.
• It uses sophisticated mathematical algorithms for
segmenting the data and evaluating the
probability of future events.
• Data mining is also known as Knowledge
Discovery in Data (KDD).
5.2. MAHARASHTRA’S PUBLIC
CLOUD POLICY
Why in News?
Maharashtra became the first state to mandate
its departments to shift their data storage onto
the cloud unlike currently where government
departments have their own data storage
facilities.
Details
• Cloud Storage- Cloud storage is a service
model in which data is maintained, managed,
backed up remotely and made available to
users over a network or cloud services
platform (typically the Internet).
• Apart from storage, cloud computing also
involves on-demand delivery of compute
power, applications, and other IT resources
Similar Government initiatives
• Digilocker Service- It is a part of goverment’s
Digital India Initiative, to enable Indian
citizens to store certain official documents on
the cloud.
• GI Cloud Initiative (Meghraj): To accelerate
delivery of e-services in the country while
optimizing ICT spending of the Government.
The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is
providing National Cloud services under this.
5.3. BLOCK-CHAIN
TECHNOLOGY
Why in news?
The Finance Ministry recently issued a statement
warning against investing in bitcoin and other
cryptocurrencies (CCs). These currencies use a
technology called blockchain.
What are cryptocurrencies?
• A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency
that uses cryptography for security. Hence it is
difficult to counterfeit. It is not issued by any
central authority, rendering it theoretically
immune to government interference or
manipulation.
The first cryptocurrency to capture the public
imagination was Bitcoin, which was launched in
2009 by an individual or group known under the
pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin’s success
has spawned a number of competing
cryptocurrencies, such as Litecoin, Ethereum,
Namecoin, PPCoin etc.
• Advantages: easier to transfer funds with minimal
processing fees, safety from hackers due to blockchain
technology and difficult to counterfaeit
• Disadvantages: well-suited for illegal activities
such as money laundering, tax evasion due to
anonymous nature of transactions, rate of
exchange of cryptocurrencies fluctuate widely and
a digital cryptocurrency balance can be wiped out
by a computer crash. Recently concerns are being
raised on its immunity to hacks as well.
• Various countries have adopted use of bitcoins
with regulations such as China, South Korea,
Japan etc.
• Some countries are also coming up with their
virtual currencies such as PETRO by Venezuela,
SOV (Sovereign) by Marshall Islands etc.
• India does not consider crypto-currencies as legal
tender or coin.
What is it?
• Blockchains are basically digital ledgers or
decentralized database of financial
transactions that are immutable and instantly
updated across the world.
• Distributed database: The blockchain
database isn’t stored in any single location,
meaning the records it keeps are truly public
and easily verifiable.
• Whenever a financial transaction happens, it
is grouped in a cryptographically protected
block with other transactions and sent out to
the entire network.
• The members in the network then validate
the transactions by solving complex coded
problems.
• The new validated block is then added to the
chain in a linear, chronological order and
linked to older blocks making it a chain of
blocks that show every transaction made in
the history of that blockchain
• Thus, the blockchain cannot be controlled by
a single entity and has no single point of
failure
Importance
• The World Economic Forum in 2015, predicts
that 10% of global GDP will be stored on the
blockchain by 2027.
• Crypto currency (CC) is just one use of
Blockchain technology. The other possible
uses are – streamlining payment mechanism,
eliminated the need for trust. Programmable
money to not allow using products of
company flouting norms, promoting artificial
intelligence and internet of things etc.
Challenges:
The main challenges today are the missing
standards, the unclear legal and regulatory
framework, lacking confidence and technical
issues. Current blockchains have trouble with
scalability and latency (i.e. verification speed).
5.4. INDIA JOINS QUANTUM
COMPUTING RACE
Why in news?
Department of Science and Technology is
planning to fund a project to develop quantum
computers.
What is quantum computing?
• In a classical computer, information is stored
using binary units, or bits. A bit is either a 0 or
1. A quantum computer instead takes
advantage of quantum mechanical properties
to process information using quantum bits,
or qubits.
• They function according to two key principles
of quantum physics: superposition and
entanglement.
• Superposition means that each qubit can
represent both a 1 and a 0 at the same time.
• Entanglement means that qubits in a
superposition can be correlated with each
other; that is, the state of one (whether it is a
1 or a 0) can depend on the state of another.
• Using these two principles, qubits can act as
more sophisticated switches, enabling
quantum computers to function in ways that
allow them to solve difficult problems that
are intractable using today’s computers.
• The computing power of a quantum
computer increases exponentially as the
qubits are increased.
• It can be used in research in new medicine
and organic materials as quantum computers
would require 3.5 million fewer steps as
compared to a traditional machine.
• Other uses – efficient logistics and delivery
mechanism, more secure platforms for
banking transactions, revolutionize artificial intelligence by faster processing of
complicated data, faster communication etc.
Quantum mechanics (QM): QM deals with sub-atomic
particles viz electrons and photons. It is used in
making products such as integrated circuit chips and
fibre-optic lines for global, instantaneous
communication.
Quantum cryptography: It is a recent technique that
can be used to ensure the confidentiality of
information transmitted between two parties by
exploiting the counterintuitive behavior of elementary
particles such as photons. Quantum cryptography is
different from traditional cryptographic systems in
that it relies more on physics, rather than
mathematics, as a key aspect of its security model.
QUESS
• China launched the world’s first satellite under
the Quantum Experiments at Space Scale
(QUESS) mission, to test the fundamentals of
quantum communication in space.
• It is known as Micius, after an ancient Chinese
philosopher
5.5. SUPERCOMPUTERS
PRATYUSH AND MIHIR
Why in news?
Recently, the Minister for Earth Sciences (MoES)
unveiled India’s fastest supercomputer named
Pratyush and high performance computer system
‘Mihir’.
More on news
• MoES has acquired a high performance
computing (HPC) system which is an array of
computers jointly hosted by IITM, Pune and
National Centre for Medium Range
Weather Forecasting, Noida.
• The HPC at Pune is named Pratyush with a
capacity of 4 petaflops (a measure of a
computer’s processing speed expressed as a
quadrillion floating point operations per
second) and HPC at Noida named Mihir with
capacity of 2.8 petaflops giving a total
capacity of 6.8 petaflops.
• It is India’s first multi-petaflop
supercomputer and is the fourth fastest
super-computer in the world which is
dedicated to weather and climate research
after Japan, U.S.A. and United Kingdom.
• It will also take India up from the present
365th position to top 30 in the
infrastructural ranking of Top 500 HPC
facilities in the world.
• Other top five super computers of India are
SahasraT (Cray XC40), Aaditya (IBM/Lenovo
system), TIFR Colour Boson (Cray XC-30), IIT
Delhi HPC and Param Yuva 2.
• Sunway TaihuLight is the World’s fastest
computer, belonging to China
National Supercomputing Mission
• It’s implemented and steered jointly by the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) and
Department of Electronics and Information
Technology (DeitY)
• Mission envisages empowering our national
academic and R&D institutions spread over the
country by installing a vast supercomputing grid
comprising of more than 70 high-performance
computing facilities.
• These supercomputers will also be networked on
the National Supercomputing grid over the
National Knowledge Network (NKN) under
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
• The NKN is another programme of the
government which connects academic institutions
and R&D labs over a high speed network
• The Mission also includes development of highly
professional High Performance Computing (HPC)
aware human resource for meeting challenges of
development of these applications.
5.6. PANEL FOR AI ROADMAP
Why in news?
• The government has formed a high-level
panel under the chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar
to lay out a roadmap for India’s research and
development on AI and its applications.
Other Developments
• Recently, Department of Defence Production
constituted a task force headed by N
Chandrasekaran, to study use of artificial
intelligence in military.
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• Commerce and Industry Minister Sets up Task
Force chaired by V. Kamakoti on Artificial
Intelligence for Economic Transformation.
Artificial Intelligence
• It is branch of computer science dealing with
simulation of intelligent behavior in computers visa-
vis visual perception, speech recognition,
decision making and translation between
languages.
• It enables computer system to carry out task on
their own that otherwise requires human
intelligence.
• Robotics is also a major field related to AI.
5.6.1. PROJECT BRAINWAVE
• Microsoft has launched “Project Brainwave”,
a deep learning acceleration platform for
real-time artificial intelligence (AI).
• It uses the massive field-programmable gate
array (FPGA) infrastructure.
• The system architecture allows very high
throughput, with the FPGA processing
requests as fast as the network can stream
them.
• Significance: Real-time AI is becoming
increasingly important as cloud
infrastructures process live data streams,
whether they be search queries, videos,
sensor streams, or interactions with users.
About deep learning
• It is a subset of machine learning which
utilizes hierarchical level of artificial neural
networks to process unstructured data.
• Neural networks are a set of algorithms,
modeled loosely after the human brain, that
are designed to recognize patterns
• A hierarchical neural network is an
artificial neural network(ANN) with multiple
hidden layers between the input and output
layers
5.6.2. HUMANOID
• A humanoid robot is a robot with its overall
appearance based on that of the human
body.
• Features of Humanoid Robots
o Self-maintenance
o Autonomous learning
o Avoiding harmful situations to people,
property, and itself
o Safe interacting with human beings and
the environment
• Androids are humanoid robots built to
resemble a male human, and Gynoids are
humanoid robots built to resemble a human
female.
• Recently, Humanoid Robot Sophia became
world’s first robot citizen as Saudi Arabia
granted citizenship to her in a bid to promote
artificial intelligence.
• Other Example: Unplugged (USA), Asimo
(Japan), Icub (Cognitive Universal Body by
European university), Poppy (france), Lexy &
Tess (Germany), Actroid-Sit (Japan) etc.
About Sophia
• Sophia is a social humanoid robot developed by
Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics
under David Hanson.
• Sophia is conceptually similar to the computer
program ELIZA, which was one of the first
attempts at simulating a human conversation.
• The software has been programmed to give prewritten
responses to specific questions .The
information is shared in a cloud network which
allows input and responses to be analysed with
blockchain technology.
• She also made surprise appearance at UN and also
joined meeting on artificial intelligence and
sustainable development.
In Artificial intelligence, turing test is a method of
inquiry for determining whether or not a
computer is capable of thinking like a human
being.
- TELECOM SECTOR
5. 7.1. BHARAT NET PROJECT
Why in news?
As of now, over 1.04 lakh gram panchayats have
been made “service ready” for providing
broadband connectivity as on March 11 under
Bharat Net project
Bharat Net Project
• In 2011, National Optical Fibre Network
(now called Bharat Net Project) was
launched to provide broadband connectivity
to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with an
affordable broadband connectivity of 2 Mbps
to 20 Mbps.
• It is being implemented by a special purpose
vehicle (SPV) named Bharat Broadband
Network Ltd (BBNL) set up under Companies
Act.
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• It is funded through Universal Service
Obligation Fund (USOF)
• Bharat Net Project is also significant for
generation of as much as 5 lakh jobs during
the installation of Wi-Fi hot spots.
• Some issues involved are high usage of
internet through mobile phone, cyber
security, high cost of services, low internet
education.
About International Telecommunications Union
• ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for
information and communication technologies –
ICTs.
• It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite
orbits, develop the technical standards that
ensure networks and technologies seamlessly
interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs
to underserved communities worldwide.
• Members: It includes both public and private
sector membership i.e 193 UN Member States
and ICT regulators, many leading academic
institutions and some 700 tech companies.
Universal Service Obligation Fund:
• It aims to provide non-discriminatory access to
quality ICT services at affordable prices to people
in rural and remote areas through subsidy support
to incentivizing telecom service providers to
venture forth and provide services to such target
beneficiaries.
• It was envisaged in National Telecom Policy, 1999
and was given statutory status through Indian
Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003.
• The resources are raised through a ‘Universal
Access Levy (UAL)’, which would be a percentage
of the revenue earned by the operators under
various licenses.
Optical Fibre Technology
• Fibre optics, is the science of transmitting data,
voice, and images by the passage of light through
thin, transparent fibres.
• Optical fibre is made up of semiconducting
materials and usually has a cylindrical structure. In
inner core there is material of higher refractive
index than in outer core resulting in Total Internal
Reflection (TIR)
• When light passes from a medium with one index
of refraction (m1) to another medium with a
lower index of refraction (m2), it bends or
refracts away from an imaginary line
perpendicular to the surface (normal line)
• However at critical angle, the refracted light
travel along the surface between the two media
and at angle greater than critical angle, the
refracted beam will be reflected entirely back into
m1. This phenomenon is known as total internal
reflection.
• Optical fibers allow data signals to propagate
through them by ensuring that the light signal
enters the fiber at an angle greater than the
critical angle of the interface between two types
of glass.
5.7.2. 5G
Why in news?
• The government has set up a high level forum
to evaluate roadmaps and formulate a
strategy to adopt 5G in the country by 2020.
What is 5G?
• 5G is a wireless communication technology. It
is the next generation mobile networks
technology after 4G LTE networks.
• The final standard for 5G will be set up by the
International Telecommunications Union
(ITU).
What is spectrum and how does it work?
• Spectrum refers to the radiowaves that are
used by mobile phones to transmit data.
• The spectrum has been divided into bands by
the government for uninterrupted
transmission of data.
• Carriers in India use airwaves in the 800 Mhz,
900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz, 2300 Mhz
and 2500 Mhz bands.
Low-frequency transmissions can travel greater
distances before losing their integrity, and they
can pass through dense objects more easily. Less
data can be transmitted over these radio waves.
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Higher-frequency transmissions carry more data,
but are poorer at penetrating obstacles. The
higher the frequency, the lower the wavelength,
and thus the more energy that’s required to
cover the same distance.
Generation Year 1 generation (1G) • First wireless communication. • Voice Calls. • Limited capacity, not secure, background interference • 2 Kbps 2 Generation (2G) • Digital version of 1G technology • Voice calls, Short messages, browsing (partial) • Low network range, slow data rates • 64 Kbps 3 Generation (3G) • Digital broadband, speed increments • Video conferencing, mobile TV, GPS • High power consumption, Low network coverage, High cost of spectrum licence. • 2 Mbps 4 Generation (4G) • Very high speeds, All IP • High speed applications, mobile TV, Wearable devices • Hard to implement, complicated hardware required • 1 Gbps 5 Generation (5G) • Cell densification, software defined network, low signal traffic • Hologram TV, Augemented reality, Ultra large and high data transfer, energy saving. • More than 1 Gbps
Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing,
under Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is
responsible for spectrum management at the national
level.
About The internet of things (IoT)
• The internet of things (IoT) is the network of
physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other
items-embedded with electronics, software,
sensors, and network connectivity that enable
these objects to collect and exchange data.
• Thus IoT creates opportunities for more direct
integration of the physical world into computerbased
systems, and resulting in improved
efficiency, accuracy and economic benefits
• IoT is one of the platforms of today’s Smart City,
and Smart Energy Management Systems. It can
also be used to improve crop yield to help feed
the world’s growing population.
About Array of Things (AoT):
• It’s an urban sensing project, a network of
interactive, modular sensor boxes that will be
installed around city to collect real-time data on
the city’s environment, infrastructure, and activity
for research and public use.
• It is expected to provide localised information to
the authorities enabling them to act quickly in
emergencies and warn citizens of environmental
threats.
VoLTE (Voice over Long Term Evolution)
• It is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem
(IMS) specification which enables a variety of
services to operate seamlessly on the network
rather than having to switch to different
applications for voice or video.
• Volte offer high definition (HD) quality voice calls,
lesser call drops and calls get connected
significantly faster, in comparison with standard
voice calls over 3G and 2G networks.
5.7.3. FREE SPACE OPTICAL
COMMUNICATION
Why in news?
• X Development LLC, a subsidiary of Google’s
parent company Alphabet will supply and
deploy two thousand cutting-edge Free
Space Optical Communication (FSOC) links
for Andhra Pradesh (AP) fiber-grid.
• AP Fibre Grid project is aimed to establish a
highly scalable network infrastructure,
accessible on a nondiscriminatory basis, to
provide on demand, affordable and end-toend
broadband connectivity for all
households, institutions & Offices. It is being
implemented by Andhra Pradesh State
Fibernet Limited
What is Free Space Optical Communication?
• It is an optical communication technology in
which data is transmitted by propagation of
light in free space allowing optical
connectivity.
• Working of FSO is similar to OFC (optical fiber
cable) networks but the only difference is
that the optical beams are sent through free
air or vaccum instead of glass fiber.
• It is a Line of Sight (LOS) technology. It
consists of an optical transceiver at both ends
to provide full duplex (bidirectional)
capability.
• It is capable of sending up to 1.25 Gbps of
data, voice, and video communications
simultaneously through the air.
• Advantages: low initial investment, flexible
network that delivers better speed than
broadband, security due to line of sight
operation etc.
• Challenges: misalignment errors, geometric
losses, background noise, weather
attenuation losses and atmospheric
turbulence.
X is a research and development facility founded by
Google in January 2010.
It has been working on several projects including
driver-less car, product delivery through flying
vehicles, Project Loon, Google glass among other
technologies.
• It is a high speed wireless communications through light emitting diodes (LEDs). • It uses both visible and near-visible light for freespace communication. • LiFi is not strictly a line-of-sight technology i.e. data rate is not dependent on the line of sight but on the signal quality at the device. Parameters Light Fidelity Wireless Fidelity Speed for data transfer >1 Gbps Upto 15 Mbps Carrier Light as a carrier Use Radio spectrum Cost Cheaper than WiFi Expensive due to radio spectrum 44 Operating Frequency Hundred to Tera Hz 2.4 GHz Coverage About 10 metre About 32 metre
5.7.4. RFID
Why in news?
Recently National Highways Authority of India
launched two mobile apps MyFASTag and
FASTag Partner to facilitate Electronic Toll
Collection. FASTag is a device which uses RFID
technology for making toll-payment directly from
the prepaid account.
About RFID
• Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is the
use of radio waves to read and capture
information stored on a tag attached to an
object. A tag can be read from up to several
feet away and does not need to be within
direct line-of-sight of the reader to be
tracked. It is applied for tracking items or as a
pass.
Other related technologies
• Near Field Communication (NFC) is a shortrange
high frequency wireless
communication technology that enables the
exchange of data between devices over
about a 10 cm distance. It is used in credit
card related payments, e-booking etc.
• Barcode scanner detects the light reflected
from the barcode. This needs to be kept in
range of several inches to several feet to read
the code.
• QR code (Quick Response code)
o It’s a two-dimensional (matrix) machinereadable
bar code made up of black and
white square. This code can be read by
the camera of a smartphone.
o It carries information both horizontally
and vertically. It has error correction
capability and data stored in it can be
restored even if it is partially damaged or
dirty.
o It is capable of 360 degrees (omnidirectional),
high speed reading.
o QR Code can store up to 7089 digits as
compared to conventional bar codes
which can store max 20 digits.
• Bluetooth technology
o It is a high speed low powered wireless
technology which uses radio waves to
link phones, computers and other
network devices over short distance
without wires.
o Wireless signals transmitted with
Bluetooth cover short distances, typically
up to 30 feet (10 meters).
o Bluetooth sends and receives radio waves
in a band (frequency band of 2.45GHz ) of
79 different frequencies and can connect
up to “eight devices” simultaneously
o It overcomes the constraints of line of
sight and one to one communication as in
other mode of wireless communications
like infrared.
o It guarantees security at bit level. When a
group of two or more Bluetooth devices
are sharing information together, they
form a kind of ad-hoc, mini computer
network called a piconet.
o It removes the problem of radio
interference by using a technique called
Speed Frequency Hopping. This ensures
that the interference won’t take place as
each transmitter will be on different
frequencies.
5.7.5. TARANG SANCHAR PORTAL
Why in News?
• The Telecom Department launched a portal –
Tarang Sanchar Portal that will allow people
to track radiation emitted from mobile
towers within a locality.
• The portal will empower consumers to know
about the towers working in a particular area
and whether they are compliant to the
Electromagnetic field (EMF) emission norms
defined by the government.
• In general, mobile tower emissions rules in
India are ten times more stringent than the
global norms
About radiation
Energy emitted from a source is generally
referred to as radiation. There are two types of
radiation:
• Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough
energy to cause chemical changes by
breaking chemical bonds. This ionization
process results in the formation of two
charged particles or ions: the molecule with a
net positive charge, and the free electron
with a negative charge. This effect can cause
damage to living tissue.
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o Examples include heat or light from the
sun, microwaves from an oven, X rays
from an X-ray tube, and gamma rays from
radioactive elements
• Non-ionizing radiation is the term given to
radiation in the part of the electromagnetic
spectrum where there is insufficient energy
to cause ionization but may have enough
energy to excite molecules and atoms causing
then to vibrate faster.
o Example: It includes electric and
magnetic fields, radio waves,
microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, and
visible radiation.
Application of Radiation
• Medical Application: X-Ray, CT, and PET
machines use X-ray (X-ray and CT) and
Gamma radiation (PET) to produce detailed
images of the human body,
• Industrial Application: to examine welds for
defects or irregularities, or examining other
materials to locate structural anomalies or
internal components.
• Food irradiation is the process of using
radioactive sources to sterilize foodstuffs.
• As a disinfectant: Ultraviolet light is used to
disinfect drinking water in some homes.
• Pollution Abatement: Radiation is used to
help remove toxic pollutants, such as exhaust
gases from coal-fired power stations and
industry. For
5.7.6. TRAI FAVOURS NET
NEUTRALITY
Why in news?
• Recently, Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) has favoured net neutrality.
• Also, Washington has become first state
recently to enact its own net-neutrality rules
Background
• The debate on net neutrality in India started
from Facebook launching Free Basics and
Airtel launching Airtel Zero.
• These were opposed by IT industry body
Nasscom as it violated net neutrality
principles by differentiating internet access
for certain types of services.
Recommendation
• Non-Discriminatory treatment: irrespective
of sender, receiver protocols used etc.
• Specialised Service: are exempted from
neutrality framework such as tele-surgery,
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IPTV
services etc.
• Content delivery Network (CDN) platform:
should not be included within the scope of
any restrictions on non-discriminatory
treatment
• Reasonable traffic Management practices:
by framing appropriate regulations time to
time.
• Regulatory Body: TRAI suggested DoT may
establish a multi-stakeholder body with
framework for collaborative mechanism
among the stakeholders for monitoring the
net-neutrality.
Net Neutrality
• Net Neutrality or Network neutrality is the idea
that Internet service providers (ISPs) should treat
all data that travels over their networks fairly,
without improper discrimination in favour of
particular apps, sites or services.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is a technology
that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband
Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog)
phone line.
CDN platform
CDN is a system of servers, deployed at the edge of (or
within) the terminating network of an access provider,
that content provider can use to distribute their
content
5.8. NATION-WIDE
HACKATHON
#OPENGOVDATAHACK
LAUNCHED
Why in news?
Recently, Ministry for Electronics & Information
Technology launched nation-wide hackathon
#OpenGovDataHack with an aim to support and
showcase great ideas or talent and enable them
to develop apps or infographics by use of Open
Government Data.
Background
• #OpenGovDataHack is an on-site 24Hrs
Challenge which will be held at 7 centres. The
participating teams will be required to submit
the App prototype and info-graphics, out of
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these selected apps will be taken up for
further development and the winner will be
awarded. The theme of the Hackathon was
“Drinking Water & Sanitation, Transport,
Education, Crime and Health”.
Open Government Data (OGD) Platform
• OGD has been set up by the National
Informatics Centre (NIC) in accordance with
National Data Sharing and Accessibility
Policy (NDSAP) 2012.
• It is a platform which provides
o single point access to open data sets, it
also provides web based workflows to
departments so that they can publish
their datasets through a predefined
metadata.
o better visualization tools, better user
experience and efficient discoverability of
resources.
o Community participation through blogs,
info-graphics, visualizations, mobile and
web apps etc.
• OGD platform is currently being
supplemented by various sectors such as
health and family welfare, home affairs,
agriculture, rajya sabha, statistics and
programme etc.
National Data Sharing and Access Policy, 2012
• The Policy aims to provide an enabling provision
and platform for providing proactive and open
access to the data generated through public funds
available with various departments of
Government.
• The policy also facilitates the access to
Government shareable data readable and
machine readable form though an all India
network within the framework of various policies,
acts and rules.
• The principle of data sharing and accessibility is
based on openness, flexibility, transparency,
quality, security and machine-readability.
- CYBER ISSUES
5. 9.1. NIC-CERT
Why in news?
Government inaugurated the new body National
Information Centre-Computer Emergency
Response Team (NIC-CERT) to prevent and
predict cyber-attacks on government utilities.
Background
• In May 2017, a ransomware called
Wannacry, infected more than 100,000
computers all over the world.
• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team
(CERT-In) in June, 2017 issued an advisory
about Petya or Petrwrap, in the series of
ransomware attacks affecting computer
systems across the world whose spreading
mechanism were similar to attack such as
EternalBlue, Psexec, Windows Management
Instrumentation.
Effect on India
Government steps to tackle cybercrime
Setting up NIC-CERT
• NIC-CERT is a dedicated body to detect,
prevent and mitigate the impact of cyberattacks,
by monitoring data across the NIC
platform, including communication between
all the levels of government and between
governments to citizens.
• It will help in real time data monitoring and
operate in close coordination and
collaboration with sectoral CERTs and CERTIN.
• Securing Digital India Initiative: NIC-CERT will
help in securing digital initiative of
government by preventing the threats and
vulnerabilities arising due to cyberspace.
About National Information Centre
• It comes under Ministry of Electronics and IT
(MeitY) and has a key role in e-governance at the
national, state and district levels. Almost all
Indian-government websites are developed and
managed by NIC.
• Malware: Malware is short for malicious
software, meaning software that can be used to
compromise computer functions, steal data,
bypass access controls, or otherwise cause harm
to the host computer. Malware is a broad term
that refers to a variety of malicious programs.
• Bot: Bots are software programs created to
automatically perform specific operations. While
some bots are created for relatively harmless
purposes (video gaming, internet auctions, online
contests, etc), it is becoming increasingly common
to see bots being used maliciously.
• Ransomware: It is a form of malware that
essentially holds a computer system captive while
demanding a ransom. The malware restricts user
access to the computer either by encrypting files
on the hard drive or locking down the system and
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displaying messages that are intended to force
the user to pay the malware creator to remove
the restrictions and regain access to their
computer.
• Spyware: Spyware is a type of malware that
functions by spying on user activity without their
knowledge. Spyware spreads by exploiting
software vulnerabilities, bundling itself with
legitimate software, or in Trojans.
• Trojan Horse: A Trojan horse, is a type of malware
that disguises itself as a normal file or program to
trick users into downloading and installing
malware. A Trojan can give a malicious party
remote access to an infected computer.
• Virus: A virus is a form of malware that is capable
of copying itself and spreading to other
computers. Viruses can be used to steal
information, harm host computers and networks,
create botnets, steal money, render
advertisements, and more.
• Worm: Computer worms are among the most
common types of malware. They spread over
computer networks by exploiting operating
system vulnerabilities. Worms typically cause
harm to their host networks by consuming
bandwidth and overloading web servers. Worms
often spread by sending mass emails with infected
attachments to users’ contacts.
Two recent initiatives
Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative
• It has been launched by Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology (MeitY), in
association with National e-Governance Division
(NeGD) and industry partners, to strengthen
Cybersecurity ecosystem in India.
• It is first public-private partnership of its kind and
will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in
cybersecurity.
• The founding partners include leading IT
companies such as Microsoft, Intel, WIPRO. Its
knowledge partners include Cert-In, NIC,
NASSCOM and consultancy firms Deloitte and EY.
• It will be operated on three principles of
Awareness, Education and Enablement.
• It aims to spread awareness about cybercrime and
build capacity of Chief Information Security
Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all
government departments.
Global Centre For Cybersecurity
• It has been launched by the World Economic
Forum (WEF) with headquarter in Geneva.
• It will function as an autonomous organization
under WEF. It will serve as laboratory and earlywarning
think tank for future cybersecurity
scenarios and help to build a safe and secure
global cyberspace.
• Its aim is to establish first global platform for
governments, businesses, experts and law
enforcement agencies to collaborate on
cybersecurity challenges and work towards an
appropriate and agile regulatory framework on
cybersecurity.
Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS)
• Theme: “Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive
Cyberspace for Sustainable Development”.
• Aim: to establish internationally agreed ‘rules of
the road’ for behavior in cyberspace, and create a
more focused and inclusive dialogue between all
those with a stake in the internet on how to
implement them.
• It has set up an institutional mechanism – Global
Forum on Cyber Expertise – to enhance capacity
building, share best practices and expertise on
cyber capacity.
Section 69B of IT Act, 2000, talks about the power to
authorize to monitor and collect traffic data or
information through any computer resource for Cyber
Security.
5.9.2. BUDAPEST CONVENTION
Why in news?
Ministry of home affairs recently called for
signing of the Budapest Convention on
cybercrime owing to the surge in cyber-crime.
Steps taken by Government
• Information Technology Act, 2000(amended
in 2008) provides a legal framework for
transactions carried out by means of
electronic data interchange and other means
of electronic communication.
• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team
(CERT-in): established to enhance the
security of India’s Communications and
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Information Infrastructure through proactive
action and effective collaboration. CERT-fin
has also been launched exclusively for
financial sector.
• National Cyber Security Policy 2013:
proposes to set up different bodies to tackle
various levels of threats, along with a
national nodal agency, to coordinate all
matters related to cyber security.
• National Critical Information Infrastructure
Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to battle cyber
security threats in strategic areas such as air
control, nuclear and space. It will function
under the National Technical Research
Organisation (NTRO)
• National cyber coordination centre (NCCC) is
being set up to scan internet traffic coming
into the country and provide real time
situational awareness and alert various
security agencies.
• Indian cyber-crime coordination centre (I4C)
and Cyber Warrior Police force has been
established under newly created Cyber and
Information Security (CIS) Division (under
Ministry of Home Affairs) to tackle internet
crimes such as cyber threats, child
pornography and online stalking.
• Digital Army Programme: a dedicated cloud
to digitize and automate processes,
procedures and services for the Indian Army,
launched as a part of Digital India. This is
similar to Meghraj, the national cloud
initiative.
About Budapest convention on cybercrime
• This convention of the council of Europe is the
only binding international instrument on this
issue.
• It is the first international treaty on crimes
committed via the Internet and other computer
networks and deals with issues such as
infringements of copyright, computer-related
fraud, child pornography and violations of
network security.
• It aims to pursue a common criminal policy,
especially by adopting appropriate legislation and
fostering international police as well as judicial cooperation.
• It provides for procedural law tools to make
investigation of cybercrime and securing of eevidence
in relation to any crime more effective
• The Convention has 56 members, including the US
and the UK.
5.9.3. DIGITAL POLICE PORTAL
UNDER CCTNS
Why in news?
Recently Home Minister launched a digital police
portal under the CCTNS project.
More on news
• CCTNS has originally aimed at maintenance of
crime and criminal records of individuals
through a national database, and delivery of
web based police related services to all
citizens.
• Digital Police portal is a SMART policing
initiative of government with aim to provide
Services to Citizens at a National level
o Report a Crime
o Request for person verification
o Links to State Citizen Portal
• The access has been restricted only to
authorized officials to protect Privacy of
individual and concerns of National security.
• The portal also generates various thematic
reports of trends of incidence of crime
across the country to facilitate policy analysis
and undertaking targeted interventions.
Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems
(CCTNS)
It is a project of MHA launched in 2009 which aims to:
• Provide Citizen Centric Police Services via a web
portal.
• Pan India search on National database of Crime &
Criminal records.
• Crime and Criminal reports at State and Centre.
• Computerization of Police Processes.
Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
• It is a component of CCTNS
• ICJS aims to integrate the CCTNS project with the
e-courts and e-prisons databases initially and
later to all components of criminal justice system
5.9.4. CYBER-SECURITY INDEX
Why in news?
• India is ranked a high 23rd out of 165 nations
in The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI).
Background
• The second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI),
released by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), said only
about half of all countries have a
cybersecurity strategy or are in the process of
developing one
• The top 3 most committed countries to
cybersecurity are Singapore United States
and Malaysia.
• India has been listed in the “maturing”
category, which refers to 77 countries that
have developed complex commitments to
cybersecurity and engage in cybersecurity
programmes and initiatives.
About ITU
• ITU, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the leading
UN agency for ICT.
• As the global focal point for governments and the
private sector, ITU’s role in helping the world
communicate spans 3 core sectors: radio
communication, standardization and
development.
ITU also organizes TELECOM events and was the lead
organizing agency of the World Summit on the
Information Society
5.10. WORLD CONGRESS ON
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(WCIT)
Why in news?
Recently World Congress on Information
Technology (WCIT) 2018 or the ‘Olympics of IT’
was held in Hyderabad for the first time in India.
More about the news
• The theme of this edition of conference was
‘Future Enterprises.’
• WCIT is a biennial event and considered as
the biggest event of its kind. It aims to
provide single platform to IT experts, policy
and decision makers and Government
officials from all over the world together to
discuss various challenges and and possible
solutions to them.
• It is unique in its global perspective on ICT
issues and its ability to draw users, providers,
media and academia from around the world.
• It was first held in 1978 since then held after
every two years. The 2014 WITC 2016 edition
was held in Brasilia, Brazil.
- HEALTH
6. 1. VECTOR BORNE DISEASES
Define: Vector-borne diseases are human
illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria
that are transmitted by mosquitoes, sandflies,
blackflies, ticks, tsetse flies, mites, snails and lice
etc.
Example: Diseases such as malaria, dengue,
Visceral leishmaniasis, kala-azar/ Dumdum
Fever), yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis,
Chikungunya, Zika etc.
National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme
(NVBDCP)
• It is an umbrella programme for prevention and
control of vector borne diseases and is subsumed
under National Health Mission.
• Directorate of NVBDCP is the central nodal agency
for the prevention and control of vector borne
diseases
• Vector borne diseases that are being targeted:
Malaria, Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala Azar,
Japanese Encephalitis, chikungunya
Directorate of National Vector Borne Diseases
Control Programme
• It’is the central nodal agency for the prevention
and control of vector borne diseases i.e. Malaria,
Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala-azar, Japanese
Encephalitis and Chikungunya in India
• It is under the aegis of Union Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare.
• Function: National level Technical Nodal office for
framing technical guidelines & policies as to guide
the states for implementation of Programme
strategies.
6.1.1. INDIA AND ZIKA VIRUS
Why in news?
Recently the United States sent out an advisory
informing its citizens in India about the number
of confirmed Zika infections in India.
Background
• The WHO has placed India as a ‘Category-2’
country for Zika risk.
• A Category-2, the second highest on a fourpoint
scale and that also includes 2015 Zikahotspot
Brazil, indicates that the virus is
being actively transmitted within the country.
• Until April, India was a Category-4 country.
About zika virus
• Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted
primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti is
a known vector of several other viruses
including yellow fever virus, dengue virus and
chikungunya virus.
• Zika can be passed through sex from a person
with Zika to his or her partners.
• People with Zika virus disease can have symptoms
including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis,
muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. These
symptoms normally last for 2-7 days.
• There is scientific consensus that Zika virus is a
cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré
syndrome.
• An additional area of concern is the difference
between Zika on the one hand and dengue or
chikungunya on the other. While the latter
conditions occur soon after a mosquito bite, the
presence of the Zika virus will be known six
months later, after the birth of microcephalic
infants.
• US scientists have developed a plant-based Zika
vaccine that could be more potent, safer and
cheaper to produce than other medicines being
developed for the disease.
• It is developed using tobacco plant and targets a
key protein called DIII, which envelopes the
outside of the Zika virus and plays a key role for
the virus to infect people.
6.1.2. MONKEY FEVER
Why in news?
Scientists have traced the source of a reemerging
disease, Kyasanur Forest Disease
(KFD) or “monkey fever”, to cashew plantations
in Goa.
What is monkey fever?
• It is caused by Kyasanur forest disease virus
(KFDV), a member of the virus family
Flaviviridae, which also causes yellow fever
and dengue.
• It was first detected in 1957 in Shimoga,
Karnataka and is endemic to South Asia.
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• Monkey fever is so named because it
primarily affects black-faced langurs and redfaced
bonnet monkeys and result in death.
Even when the monkey dies still the KFD virus
gets transmitted through ticks thriving on
monkeys.
• The Hard ticks (Hemaphysalis spinigera) are
the reservoir of KFDV. These ticks are known
to thrive in the Western Ghats and transmit
the disease to humans
Monkey Fever Symptoms
• High fever with headache, followed by
haemorrhagic symptoms such as bleeding from
the nose, throat and gums
• Gastrointestinal bleeding,
• Muscle stiffness, tremors, absent reflexes and
• Mental disturbances.
6.1.3. ELEPHANTIASIS
Why in news?
Recently, it was speculated that Government will
miss out the set deadline to eliminate
Elephantiasis.
Elephantiasis or Lymphatic Filariasis
• It is a parasitic disease caused by the
parasitic worms called filial worms which is
spread by the bite of the infected black flies
and mosquitoes.
• The disease parasite is usually acquired
during childhood. The larvae in the human
can live in human beings for up-to 5-8 years
without showing any symptoms; however the
lymphatic system is damaged.
• Elephantiasis leads to severe swelling in
arms, legs, knees and genitals causes
disfigurement and disability.
Burden of Disease
• India alone accounts for 40% of world’s
disease burden with over 31 million
microfilaraemics, 23 million cases of
symptomatic filariasis, and about 500 million
individuals at risk of contracting the disease.
• India had set the ambitious target to
eradicate the disease by 2020 which was
earlier set at 2015 under the National Health
Policy 2002.
Efforts to eradicate the Disease in India
• In 1995, government launched National
Filaria Control Program
• In India, since 2004, Mass Drug
Administration (MDA) is being carried on as a
part of the Hathipaon Mukt Bharat (Filaria
Free India) programme for preventive
medication.
