SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Table of Contents 1. BIOTECHNOLOGY ___________________ 3 3.11. RFID ___________________________ 29 1.1. DNA Technology (Use & Application) 3.12. Miscellaneous ___________________ 29 Regulation Bill ________________________ 3 4. DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY _____________ 32 1.2. National Guidelines for Gene Therapy __ 3 4.1. Missiles _________________________ 32 1.3. MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative _______ 5 4.2. Submarine and Ships _______________ 33 1.4. Genome India Project _______________ 6 4.3. Aircrafts and Helicopters ____________ 34 1.5. GM Crops _________________________ 6 4.4. Other weapons system _____________ 35 1.5.1. Golden Rice ________________________ 7 4.5. Space Weaponisation ______________ 36 2. SPACE TECHNOLOGY ________________ 8 4.6. Drone Regulation __________________ 37 2.1. ISRO _____________________________ 8 2.1.1. Gaganyaan _________________________ 8 4.7. Other important news ______________ 38 2.1.2. Chandrayaan 2 _____________________ 9 2.1.3. Geotail ___________________________ 10 5. HEALTH _________________________ 39 2.1.4. NaVIC ____________________________ 11 5.1. Viral diseases _____________________ 39 2.1.5. GSAT-30 __________________________ 12 5.1.1. Polio _____________________________ 39 2.1.6. GEMINI __________________________ 12 5.1.2. New HIV Subtype Found by Genetic 2.1.7. Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS) Sequencing _____________________________ 40 ______________________________________ 13 5.1.3. Other viral Diseases _________________ 40 2.1.8. Cartosat-3 ________________________ 13 2.1.9. RISAT-2BR1 _______________________ 14 5.2. Bacterial Diseases _________________ 40 2.1.10. Newspace India ___________________ 14 5.2.1. Tuberculosis _______________________ 40 2.1.11. Other ISRO Missions _______________ 14 5.2.1.1. Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria42 5.2.2. Other Bacterial Diseases _____________ 42 2.2. NASA ___________________________ 15 5.3. Other diseases ____________________ 43 2.3. Other Space Missions ______________ 16 5.3.1. Rare Diseases ______________________ 43 2.4. Other Space Related Research & 5.3.2. Lymphatic Filariasis _________________ 44 Development ________________________ 17 5.3.3. Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine ___________ 45 2.4.1. Space-Based Internet _______________ 17 5.4. Livestock and Avian diseases ________ 46 2.4.2. Gravitational Lensing _______________ 18 5.4.1. Initiative to Control Livestock Diseases __ 46 2.5. Other important news _____________ 18 5.4.2. Avian Botulism _____________________ 46 5.5. Pharmaceuticals __________________ 46 3. IT & COMPUTER ___________________ 22 5.5.1. Antimicrobial Resistance _____________ 46 3.1. 5G Network ______________________ 22 5.5.2. Use of Antibiotics in Animal Food ______ 48 5.5.3. Medical Devices ____________________ 48 3.2. Blockchain Technology _____________ 22 5.5.3.1. Government Notifies Medical Devices 3.3. Artificial Intelligence _______________ 23 as ‘drugs’ ____________________________ 48 5.5.3.2. Medical Devices Amendment Rules, 3.4. Quantum Computing_______________ 24 2020 ________________________________ 49 5.5.3.3. National Essential Diagnostic list ___ 49 3.5. Edge Computing __________________ 25 5.5.4. Nano-Pharmaceuticals _______________ 49 3.6. Dark Net _________________________ 25 5.5.5. Traditional Medicine ________________ 51 5.5.6. Vaccine Hesitancy __________________ 52 3.7. Data Localization __________________ 26 5.6. Food and Health __________________ 52 3.8. The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 27 5.6.1. Food Fortification ___________________ 52 3.9. 3D printing _______________________ 28 5.6.2. Eat Right India Campaign _____________ 53 5.6.3. National Digital Health Blueprint ______ 54 3.10. Biometrics ______________________ 28 1 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH 8468022022 5.6.4. E-cigarettes _______________________ 55 8.4. Optoelectronics ___________________ 65 5.7. Other news ______________________ 55 8.5. Short Wave Radio Transmission ______ 65 6. IPR _____________________________ 57 8.6. Ceramic Membranes _______________ 66 6.1. International Intellectual Property (IP) 8.7. Elastocaloric Effect ________________ 66 Index _______________________________ 57 8.8. Other Important News _____________ 66 6.2. Patent Prosecution Highway Programme 9. AWARDS ________________________ 69 ___________________________________ 59 9.1. Nobel Prizes 2019 _________________ 69 7. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ______________ 60 9.1.1. Nobel Prize in Physics _______________ 69 7.1. Indigenous Fuel Cell _______________ 60 9.1.2. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine __ 69 9.1.3. Nobel Prize in Chemistry _____________ 69 7.2. Microbial Fuel Cells ________________ 60 9.2. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for 2019 70 7.3. Hydrothermal Carbonisation ________ 61 9.3. Swarna Jayanti Fellowships _________ 71 7.4. Biofuel from Microorganisms ________ 61 10. MISCELLANEOUS _________________ 72 7.5. Sodium Sulphur battery ____________ 62 10.1. Annular Solar Eclipse ______________ 72 8. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ________ 63 10.2. Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) __ 73 8.1. India Adopts New Definition of Kilogram ___________________________________ 63 10.3. Personalities ____________________ 73 10.3.1. Srinivas Ramanujan ________________ 73 8.2. Superconductivity at Room Temperature 10.3.2. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai ________________ 74 ___________________________________ 63 10.4. Other important news _____________ 75 8.3. Proton Therapy ___________________ 64 2 8468022022 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH 1. BIOTECHNOLOGY 1.1. DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE & o for matters related to establishment of individual identity. APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL • Collection of DNA: the investigating authorities may collect bodily substances of Why in news? persons. Recently, the DNA Technology (Use and o Requirement of consent for collection in Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 was introduced certain situations. For instance, in the Lok Sabha, which provides for the regulation ✓ For arrested persons- Requirement of of use of DNA technology for establishing the written consent if the offence carries identity of certain persons. a punishment of up to seven years. If the offence carries more than seven What is DNA? years of imprisonment or death, • DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, a hereditary material in human and almost all the consent is not required. other organisms. • DNA Data Bank- A National DNA Databank and • Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (called regional DNA Databanks will store DNA nuclear DNA) but some small amount of DNA can Profiles in a specified format. be found in Mitochondria (called mitochondrion • Removal of DNA profiles: DNA). o The Bill provides for removal of the DNA • It is composed of two chains, which coil around profiles of the following persons: each other to form a double helix carrying the ✓ of a suspect if a police report is filed or genetic instructions used in the growth. court order given, • It is made up of 23 pairs of chromosomes and ✓ provides instructions for building an entire of an undertrial if a court order is organism and the proteins. given, and • The information in DNA is stored as a code made ✓ on written request, for persons who up of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine are not a suspect, offender or (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). Human DNA undertrial, from the crime scene or consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than missing persons’ index. 99 percent of those bases are the same in all • Establishment of DNA Regulatory Board: people. which will supervise the DNA Data Banks and • An important property of DNA is that it can DNA laboratories. replicate, or make copies of itself. Each strand of • Penalties for various offences, including DNA in the double helix can serve as a pattern for duplicating the sequence of bases. disclosure of DNA information or using DNA sample without authorization have been provided. 1.2. NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR GENE THERAPY Why in News? Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) published “National Guidelines for Gene Therapy- Product Development and Clinical Trials”. Gene Therapy Product (GTP) • It is defined as any biological entity, having the required gene, that could introduce modifications in the genome for therapeutic benefit. Key Provisions of the Bill • GTPs work by repairing, replacing or deactivating dysfunctional disease-causing genes aiming to • Use of DNA Data: DNA testing is allowed only restore normal function. in respect of matters listed in the Schedule to • GTPs include: the Bill, such as- o Recombinant viral vectors: adenovirus, o Offences under the Indian Penal Code, retrovirus 1860. o Non-viral vectors: naked DNA transfection o for civil matters such as paternity suits. 3 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH 8468022022 o Microbial/bacterial vectors (Salmonella, E. haemophilia, thalassemia, sickle-cell coli): recombinant bacteria derived vehicles anaemia etc. o Modifications resulting from the use of CRISPR and other similar technologies Key guidelines o ex vivo genetically modified cells: gene • Applicability: The guidelines apply to all modified/ augmented stem cells, iPS (induced stakeholders in the field of gene therapy pluripotent stem) cells, CAR-T cells etc. including researchers, clinicians, regulatory o Soluble/particulate/emulsion/Nano based committees, industry, patient support groups interventions containing any form of genetic etc. material/ nucleic acid for the purpose of clinical • General Principles: