Feb-17S&T Flashcards
Feb-17S&T -Index
6.1. Lidar Technology
6.2. Graphene from Soybean
6.3. Cloud Seeding
6.4. BLAZARS
6.5. Switch to digital terrestrial transmission by 2023
6.6. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan
6.7. Flu Gas Technology
6.8. India’s National Vaccine Regulatory Authority
6.9. Latest Developments at ISRO
-6.9.1. Launch of 104 Satellites in A Single Flight by
PSLV-C37
-6.9.2. ISRO Rover on Lunar Surface
-6.9.3. Telemetry and Telecommand Processor
(TTCP)
6.10. DNA-Tagging of Convicts
6.11. Superbugs
6.12. “Vampire” Star
6.13. Why Doesn’t Earth’s Inner Core Melt?
6.14. Bharat QR Code
6.1. LIDAR TECHNOLOGY
Recently Google has accused Uber of stealing its LIDAR designs in developing its own autonomous vehicles.
Autonomous vehicles use LIDAR for obstacle detection and avoidance to navigate safely through environment.
LIDAR is highly sought after technology used by companies like Google and Uber.
Box–Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)
What is it?
It is a remote sensing method that uses narrow beam of light instead of radiowaves in the form of a pulsed laser to build a 3-D image of surrounding landscape. The narrow beam of laser makes it possible to map objects with high degree of resolution.
It measures and analyses the distance from the sensor to the object by determining the time between the release of laser pulse to receiving of the reflected pulse.
For terrestrial mapping LIDAR uses near infrared wavelength laser (900–1064 nanometers) and water penetration like sea bed mapping it uses green light (532 nanometers).
A typical LIDAR instrument principally consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver.
There are three ways to collect LIDAR data – airborne, satellite and ground. Airborne LIDAR data are the most commonly available LIDAR data.
Utilities of LIDAR
LIDAR data has multiple applications. Like:
Urban planning: Helps in creation of large area models in short time. It is also used to create digital elevation models and surface models of surrounding buildings.
Coastline management: Producing accurate shoreline maps, detecting coastal erosion.
Archeology: Help in creation of high resolution digital elevation models to reveal micro-topography.
Oil and Gas exploration: It is used to trace amount of gases above the hydrocarbon region. This tracking helps to find exact area which has Oil and Gas deposits. Thus saves both time and money.
Quarries and Minerals:
Helps in quick surveying the mining area to check its suitability.
Give an accurate indication of environment impact.
Cellular network planning: Can be used to provide analysis for determining line of sight for proposed cellular antenna.
Forestry management and planning: It provides the height of canopy, its density and ground elevation. It is also increasingly used for managing forest fire by mapping possible fire area.
Flood modeling:
Helps in creation of accurate flood prediction models.
Can be incorporated into relief, rescue and flood simulation software to provide advanced topographical information.
Pollution modeling:
Helps in detection of pollutants like carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and methane.
Detection of noise and light pollution.
Mapping and Cartography:
Assist in mapping of roads, buildings and vegetations.
Useful in developing high-resolution contour maps.
Transport planning: Help in mapping transport corridor facilitating seamless navigation.
Agriculture:
Helps in crop mapping and indicate which areas to need fertilizers for maximum crop yield.
Helps in creating a topographical map of the fields and reveals the slope and sun exposure of the farm land.
Spaceflight and Astronomy:
It may be used in mapping the surface of any celestial body.
It is used for atmospheric studies from space.
Atmospheric remote sensing: It is used to determine cloud profiles, measuring winds, studying aerosols and quantifying various atmospheric components.
6.2. GRAPHENE FROM SOYBEAN
Why in news?
Scientists have used a soybean to make the world’s strongest material graphene commercially more viable.
About Graphene
Graphene form of carbon allotrope consisting of planar sheets (2D structure) which are one atom thick, with the atoms arranged in a honeycomb-shaped lattice. It is composed of carbon atoms linked in a hexagonal lattice.
Properties of Graphene
Stronger than the steel.
Good conductor of heat and electricity.
About 200 times stronger than steel
Better conductor compared to Copper
Nearly transparent.
Applications of Grpahene includes Paints and coatings, lubricants, oils and functional fluids, capacitors and batteries, thermal management applications, display materials and packaging, solar cells, inks and 3D-printers’ materials and films.
—Fig—
6.3. CLOUD SEEDING
Why in news?
Maharashtra government has decided to conduct cloud seeding experiment next three year to tackle the problem of frequent droughts in Vidarbha region.
This programme will be coordinated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and is part of larger
experiment of Earth Science Ministry to understand how clouds and aerosols interact and influence climate.
Cloud seeding
Cloud seeding also known as weather modification
Technique, is an artificial way to induce moisture in the
clouds so as to cause a rainfall. In this process either
silver iodide, potassium iodide or dry ice (solid carbon
dioxide) is dumped onto the clouds causing rainfall.
Application of cloud seeding
This method can be used to cause significant amount of rainfall over a specified area especially in location
where rain is badly needed.
It can be developed as an effective tool to safeguard from the effect of vagaries of monsoon on agriculture as it is timely rain, rather than a lot of it, which is more important for crops.
Timely and ambient rain results in maximum farm yield. Thus it helps in boosting local economy and feeding people.
Concerns
Several experiments have been conducted across India to protect drought affected areas. However they were not very effective and gave mixed results.
It is not fool proof as different type of clouds may exist over a region and same type of seeding may not be effective for all.
Moreover seeded clouds may actually travel to another location and do not cause precipitation on the intended location questioning its effectiveness.
There are environmental consequences like spreading of harmful chemicals in atmosphere.
If not controlled properly, cloud seeding may result in undesirable weather conditions like flooding, storms, hail, etc.
Lastly it is very expensive
Box–1-Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
It was formed in 1962 and is under administrative control of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It is a premiere research Institute to generate scientific knowledge in the field of meteorology and atmospheric sciences.
It functions as a national centre for basic and applied research in monsoon meteorology.
Box–2-UPSC IN PAST
Q. Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its party expense, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National disaster management authority, discuss the mechanism for preparedness to deal with the El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India. (200 words) (MAINS 2014)
6.4. BLAZARS
Why in news? NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray space telescope has identified the farthest gamma-ray blazars. What are blazars?
A blazar is a galaxy which, like a quasar, has an intensely bright central nucleus containing a supermassive black hole.
In a blazar, however, the emitted light sometimes includes extremely high energy gamma rays, sometimes over a hundred million times more energetic than the highest energy X-rays.
The overall emission has several other unique properties as well, including that its intensity can vary dramatically with time.
6.5. SWITCH TO DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TRANSMISSION BY 2023
Why in news?
The broadcast regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), has recommended introduction of digital terrestrial transmission for broadcast services in a phased manner and complete shutdown of analog transmission by end of 2023.
TRAI has recommended that DTT should be deployed in metros by December 2019 in phase 1, cities having more than 10 lakh population as per Census 2011 should be covered by December 2021 and rest of India by December 2023.
Background
At present, terrestrial TV broadcasting in India is under the exclusive domain of Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati), the Public Service Broadcaster and it is predominantly analog.
The existing terrestrial TV platform provides only a few channels which do not offer a value proposition to the viewers.
Basic facts about DTT
Terrestrial transmission is a type of broadcasting in which signals are transmitted by radio wave from a terrestrial transmitter. It is of two type:
Analog terrestrial transmission(ATT)
In analogue terrestrial television broadcasting only one signal is transmitted on a given frequency channel.
Digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) broadcasting allows the transmission of about 10 or more digital services in a single frequency channel, depending on the technical parameters used and the quality of services desired.
Consumer advantages of DTT
Crystal clear pictures and high quality audio through digital reception
Better overall reception, particularly if signal is weak
Access to new free and Pay TV channels
Lower power requirements hence signals
can be used by mobile devices.
Can provide a rich bouquet of SDTV, HDTV,
UHTV, mobile TV channels, radio service and
other value added services.
Government advantages of DTT
Possibility to cost-effectively implement
social programs in fields such as health and
education
Gives access to additional frequencies that
may be used for essential services
The spectrum used to transmit data over the
air is scarce. To ensure optimum utilization
of this valuable resource, over 156 countries
signed an ITU agreement in 2006, to switch from analogue to digital transmission. By adopting digital transmission India can join the league of countries having DTT such as Luxembourg.
Adoption of DTT will add to DIGITAL INDIA program and enable digital access in rural areas
—Fig—
6.6. PRADHAN MANTRI GRAMIN DIGITAL SAKSHARTA ABHIYAN
Why in news?
The Union Cabinet has approved ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ (PMGDISHA).
Background
As per the 71st NSSO Survey on Education 2014, only 6% of rural households have a computer.
This highlights that more than 15 crore rural households (@ 94% of 16.85 crore households) do not have computers
Thus a significant number of these households are likely to be digitally illiterate.
About PMGDISHA
PMGDISHA is expected to be one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world.
Under the scheme, 25 lakh candidates will be trained in the FY 2016-17; 275 lakh in the FY 2017-18; and 300 lakh in the FY 2018-19.
To ensure equitable geographical reach, each of the 250,000 Gram Panchayats would be expected to register an average of 200-300 candidates.
The implementation of the Scheme would be carried out under the overall supervision of Ministry of Electronics and IT in active collaboration with States/UTs through their designated State Implementing Agencies, District e-Governance Society (DeGS), etc.
The PMGDISHA being initiated under Digital India Programme would cover 6 crore households in rural areas to make them digitally literate.
This would empower the citizens by providing them access to information, knowledge and skills for operating computers / digital access devices.
Concerns / Challenges
According to World Economic Forum’s Annual Network Readiness Index which assess the information and the communication capability of 140 nations, in 2013 India was at 68th position but in 2016 India has slipped to 91st.
People need to be trained on how to protect their financial information when the use computers or other devices for various transaction.
The BHARATNET project has not been able to provide broadband connectivity to rural panchayats. Thus success of PMGDISHA will depend on infrastructure availability.
6.7. FLU GAS TECHNOLOGY
Why in news?
Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has decided to use Flu-Gas Desulfurization to reduce emissions from thermal power plants following new environmental notification.
About
As per new notification by MoEFC emissions of pollutants namely Particulate matters need to be reduced by 65%; Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 70% and Sulphur dioxide by 85%.
Flu-Gas Desulfurization (FGD) technology
Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is a set of technologies used to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants, as well as from the emissions of other sulfur oxide emitting processes.
Common methods used to remove SO2 are: Wet scrubbing method, Spray-dry scrubbing method, Wet and Dry lime scrubbing method, SNOX method, Dry sorbent injection method, etc.
For a typical coal-fired power station, flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) may remove 90 percent or more of the SO2 in the flue gases.
Sulfur dioxide emissions are a primary contributor to acid rain and have been regulated by every industrialized nation in the world.
Box–1-Centre for Science and Environment
It is a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi.
It researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.
Box–2-Electrostatic Precipitators: It is a filtration device that removes fine particles like particulate matter using electrostatic force by ionizing the passing gas.
Retrofit Boiler
Box–3-Flue Gases
It is a mixture of gases which is by produce by combustion of fuel and other materials in power stations and various industrial plants and released in the atmosphere via flu (ducts).
It largely contains oxides of nitrogen derived from combustion of air, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapour, excess oxygen, sulphur oxides, particulate matter like soot.
6.8. INDIA’S NATIONAL VACCINE REGULATORY AUTHORITY
Why in news?
WHO recently declared Indian National Regulatory Authority functional and awarded it highest rating 4 which means 100% compliance with the WHO benchmarking , good result with sustained improvement trend and stringent regulator of vaccine as per developed countries and European Union.
What is NRA?
As Specified by WHO, NRAs are national regulatory agencies responsible for ensuring international standards of quality and safety in vaccine production either for export or for public distribution.
It comprise of Central drugs standard control organization, State Drug Regulatory Authorities, Pharmaco-vigilance Programme of India (PvPI) and Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) structures at the Central and States levels
Significance for India
It means that India has been classified as a stringent regulator of vaccines alongside developed countries such as the US, Japan and EU member states.
It will boost Indian pharmaceutical companies to enter international markets and compete as drugs will be of international standards.
It will also boost Make in India campaign by influx of investment and technology after improved global confidence in Indian medicinal product.
India is major supplier of vaccine to UNICEF, the WHO and Pan American Health Organisation which in turn supplies it to more than 100 countries therefore it will open up opportunities to hitherto untapped markets and generate steady forex income.
6.9. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AT ISRO
-6.9.1. LAUNCH OF 104 SATELLITES IN A SINGLE
FLIGHT BY PSLV-C37
PSLV-C37, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has
successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite
along with 103 co-passenger satellites.
The total weight of all the 104 satellites carried on-board
PSLV-C37 was 1378 kg.
This was the thirty eighth consecutively successful mission
of PSLV.
International customer satellites from USA (96) and one
each from The Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel,
Kazakhstan and UAE were also carried among co-
passenger satellites.
Box–PSLV
The PSLV is one of world’s most reliable launch vehicles consisting of four stages.
It has been in service for over twenty years and has launched historic missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, IRNSS etc.
It can take up to 1,750 kg of payload to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits of 600 km altitude and payload of 1,425 kg to Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits.
6.9.2. ISRO ROVER ON LUNAR SURFACE
ISRO is planning to deploy a rover on the lunar surface in the
Chandrayaan-2 mission.
After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander, containing
the Rover, will separate from the Orbiter.
The Lander then will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified
site and deploy a Rover.
The six-wheeled Rover will move around the landing site in
semi-autonomous mode as decided by the ground commands.
The instruments on the rover will observe the lunar surface and send back data useful for analysis of the lunar soil.
Collection of soil and rock sediments is not planned in this mission.
Box–Chandrayaan 2, India’s second mission to the Moon, is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission.
It consists of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover configuration.
It is expected to be launched during the first quarter of 2018.
6.9.3. TELEMETRY AND TELECOMMAND PROCESSOR (TTCP)
TTCP is used in Integrated Spacecraft Testing of Low Earth Orbit, Geostationary Orbit and Interplanetary Spacecraft.
The Low earth orbit spacecrafts typically use ISRO formats for telemetry and telecommand, for which indigenous equipments are being used.
However, the interplanetary spacecraft use an international standard known as CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems).The equipments are being imported for this purpose.
As part of ‘Make in India’ campaign, indigenous development of TTCP was taken up by ISRO.
This system now is able to meet the requirements of both CCSDS and ISRO standards.
6.10. DNA-TAGGING OF CONVICTS
Why in news?
Andhra Pradesh is drafting a legislation that will enable collection and storage of genetic fingerprints in a centralized database to track offenders.
What is DNA fingerprinting?
DNA fingerprinting is a laboratory technique used to establish a link between biological evidence and a suspect in a criminal investigation.
DNA fingerprinting is also used to establish paternity, seed stock identification, the authenticity of consumer products, and medical diagnosis.
Benefits of DNA Fingerprinting
Accuracy- in majority of cases where DNA of more than one person are found, DNA fingerprinting can identify the criminals from other people.
Reliability- is more reliable than Narco analysis which is subjective and also DNA fingerprinting cannot be faked.
Challenges
DNA testing as evidence is not provided under Indian Evidence Act 1872 and Criminal Procedure Code 1973.
The Union had created similar draft in 2012 which ran into controversy due to concerns around violation of privacy rights.
Unscientific investigation: In India, instead of forensic investigators and scientists, an untrained constable goes to crime scene first, who does not know how to scientifically collect evidences and in the process destroys vital DNA evidence.
6.11. SUPERBUGS
Why in news?
World Health Organization (WHO) has recently provided a list of twelve “Superbugs” which pose an enormous threat to human health.
WHO further urged medical experts and pharmaceutical researchers to focus first on fighting the most
dangerous among these pathogens.
Superbugs
They are a strain of bacteria that has become
resistant to battery of antibiotic drugs after their
prolonged exposure to antibiotics.
Hence, the medicines become ineffective and
infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of
spread to others.
Overuse (consuming more antibiotic than
prescribed) and Misuse (taking prescribed antibiotic
incorrectly or taking antibiotic to treat viral
infection) of antibiotics are the major reason for
formation of Superbugs. Human consumption of
antibiotic-treated chicken and livestock further increasing resistance. Few prominent superbugs highlighted by WHO are MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Klebsiella, E. coli.
Klebsiella Bacteria has recently developed resistance to a powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems.
—Fig—
6.12. “VAMPIRE” STAR
India’s first dedicated space observatory, ASTROSAT,
has captured rare phenomenon of a small, 6-billion-
year-old “vampire” star “preying” on a bigger celestial
body.
The smaller star sucks mass and energy out of the
bigger companion star and it becomes bigger, hotter
& bluer and hence is called a vampire star.
ASTROSAT is India’s first dedicated multi wavelength space observatory.
ASTROSAT observes universe in the optical, UV, low and high energy X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, whereas most such satellites are capable of observing only a narrow range of wavelength
