Science & technology

CONTEXT: A tough novel species of Muraingrass identified by scientists in the plateaus of Western Ghats of Goa. A new species of Indian Muraingrasses known for their ecological and economic importance, such as fodder, have been spotted by scientists in Goa in the Western Ghats, one of the four global …

CONTEXT: Aerosols in Indo-Gangetic Plain have led to increased incidents of high rainfall in the Himalayan foothills Scientists have found that aerosols like black carbon and dust, which makes the Indo-Gangetic Plain one of the most polluted regions of the world, have led to increased incidents of high rainfall events …

CONTEXT: Recently NASA launched its first full-fledged human mission (CREW-1) using a privately owned spacecraft. About CREW-1 Mission: It is part of NASA’s first commercial human spacecraft system with a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), onboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft called Resilience. It is the …

Context: Online Release of Picture Postcard on Sawantwadi Toy by India Post India Post celebrates 151 Years of Postcard in India. Sawantwadi toys – These are handmade toys made of wood in Sawantwadi a town in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. They are made from the wood of the Indian Coral …

CONTEXT: RAISE 2020 – Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence. Representatives from the global AI industry to hold discussions at the Summit The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog will organize a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment …

Ocean Services, Modelling, Applications, Resources and Technology (O-SMART) SCHEME of the Ministry of Earth Sciences The objectives of O-SMART (Ocean Services, Modelling, Applications, Resources and Technology) scheme of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Govt. of India are To generate and regularly update information on Marine Living Resources and their relationship …

Context: Government to set up Neutrino Observatory in the country India based Neutrino observatory (INO) will observe neutrinos produced in the atmosphere of the Earth. This observation will tell us more about the properties of neutrino particles, whose main source is the Sun and the Earth’s atmosphere. The neutrino detector …

context: The status of setting up of country’s second space rocket launching port by ISRO in Kulasekarapattinam, located in Tamil Nadu. • As per the request of Department of Space, Government of Tamil Nadu has identified 961.66.90 hectares in Thoothukudi district. • Land survey is completed for 431.87.74 hectares and …

Forensic DNA Phenotyping refers to the prediction of appearance traits of unknown sample donors, or unknown deceased (missing) persons, directly from biological materials found at the scene. “Biological witness” outcomes of Forensic DNA Phenotyping can provide investigative leads to trace unknown persons, who are unidentifiable with current comparative DNA profiling …

CONTEXT: “BRICS countries continue to cooperate in Telecom/ ICT activities on International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Forum”. In the meeting a broad consensus was built to continue cooperation among BRICS Countries on important areas such as, the role of Information and Communication Technologies in the fight against COVID-19, building trust and …

There are 32 earth observation sensors with advanced capabilities, currently in orbit, providing space based information.Five earth observation satellites and five communication payloads were realized since January, 2018. Information support was provided for all the major disaster events viz. floods, cyclones and forest fires occurred since January 2020. ADVANTAGES About …

During the last three years and the current year, the Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of twelve (12) nuclear power reactors – ten (10) indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode & two (02) units of Light …

INVESTMENT IN ATOMIC ENERGY The Capital investment for the nuclear power projects is being funded with a debt to equity ratio of 70:30. The equity part is funded from internal resources of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Government Budgetary Support. The present policy (Consolidated FDI Policy of …

Context: DBT-BIRAC is supporting Covid-19 vaccine development by facilitating establishment of r-VSV vaccine manufacturing platform for first time in India. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India is supporting COVID-19 vaccine development by facilitating the establishment of the r-VSV vaccine manufacturing …

Context: The Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India is having three binational Centres namely Indo-French Centre for Promotional of Advanced Research (IFCPAR)established with France in 1987, Indo-US Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF) established in2000 with USA and Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) established in 2010under intergovernmental agreements. …

Context: It has been a part of Government’s Science and Technology (S&T) policy to encourage the students/youth of the country towards the field of science and technology. The first three key elements of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Policy of 2013 Are: Promoting the spread of scientific temper amongst all …

Context: CSIR-CMERI develops Affordable Solar Powered Battery based Sprayers to tackle Water Crisis in Agriculture Water is a precious resource and water scarcity is looming large over the entire Nation. Agriculture, which consumes around 70% of Water, for irrigation purpose, is the most vulnerable sector of the Economy owing to …

Context: In a pathbreaking development, Indian scientists prepare a web-based COVID predictor to predict the sequence of viruses online A group of scientists in India is working on genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 around the World, including India, to identify genetic variability and potential  molecular targets in virus and human to …

Context: Encouraging school children to innovate is broadening the base of innovation pyramid Children with imaginative minds can come up with innovative solutions to problems in and around them. Government efforts are triggering this imagination and broadening the base of the pyramid of innovation that encourages children to come up …

Context: Keel laid for the third stealth frigate of Project 17A Project 17-A Nilgiri-Class Frigate Seven frigates under P17A series will be constructed of which four are being constructed in MDL and three in GRSE with MDL as the lead yard. The P17A class frigates are being built using indigenously …