SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Table of Contents 1. BIOTECHNOLOGY ___________________ 3 4. IT & COMPUTER ___________________ 22 1.1. DNA Technology (Use and Application) 4.1. Data Protection ___________________ 22 Regulation Bill ________________________ 3 4.2. Net Neutrality ____________________ 22 1.2. Human Microbiome ________________ 3 4.3. 5G ______________________________ 23 1.3. Gene Editing ______________________ 4 4.4. Digital Initiatives __________________ 23 1.4. Earth Biogenome Project ____________ 4 4.4.1. National Digital Literacy Mission _______ 23 2. SPACE TECHNOLOGY ________________ 6 4.4.2. Digital Village Programme ____________ 23 2.1. ISRO _____________________________ 6 4.4.3. Digital North-East Vision 2022 _________ 24 2.1.1. Gaganyaan Mission __________________ 6 4.4.4. Digital Payment ____________________ 24 2.1.2. GSAT-11 ___________________________ 6 4.5. Cryptocurrency ___________________ 25 2.1.3. Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite (HYSIS) __ 7 4.6. Artificial Intelligence _______________ 26 2.1.4. Satellite Launch Vehicles by ISRO _______ 7 4.7. Supercomputer ___________________ 27 2.1.5. Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA) ___ 8 4.8. Cyber-Physical Systems _____________ 28 2.2. NASA Missions in News _____________ 8 4.9. Paris Call _________________________ 29 2.3. Other Space Missions in News _______ 10 4.10. Gravityrat Malware _______________ 29 2.4. Plan to Prevent Asteroid Attack ______ 12 5. HEALTH _________________________ 31 2.5. Other Space Related Development in 5.1. Food and Health __________________ 31 India _______________________________ 12 5.1.1. Food Fortification ___________________ 31 2.5.1. India-Based Neutrino Observatory _____ 12 5.1.2. Eat Right India Movement ____________ 31 2.5.2. Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave 5.1.3. Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) ___ 31 Observatory ____________________________ 13 5.1.4. Trans Fat __________________________ 32 2.5.3. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation 5.2. Pharmaceuticals __________________ 33 (CMBR) ________________________________ 13 5.2.1. Antimicrobial Resistance _____________ 33 2.5.4. India’s First Robotic Telescope ________ 14 5.2.2. Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) _______ 34 2.5.5. Sunspot Cycle _____________________ 14 5.2.3. National Medical Devices Promotion 2.5.6. Exoplanet Discovered by India ________ 15 Council ________________________________ 34 2.5.7. Particle Decay _____________________ 15 5.2.4. Animal-Free Testing for Drugs _________ 34 2.5.8. Earth’s Two Extra Hidden 'Moons' _____ 16 5.3. Viral Diseases _____________________ 35 3. DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY _____________ 17 5.3.1. Nipah Virus ________________________ 35 3.1. Integrated Guided Missile Development 5.3.2. Zika Virus _________________________ 35 Plan (IGDMP) ________________________ 17 5.3.3. Polio Virus ________________________ 36 3.1.1. Agni _____________________________ 17 5.3.4. Measles-Rubella ____________________ 36 3.1.2. PRITHVI __________________________ 17 5.3.5. National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis 3.1.3. NAG _____________________________ 17 Control ________________________________ 36 3.1.4. Akash Missile ______________________ 17 5.3.6. Chikungunya Virus __________________ 37 3.1.5. Trishul Missile _____________________ 17 5.3.7. Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine ________ 37 3.2. INS Arihant ______________________ 18 5.4. Bacterial Diseases _________________ 38 3.3. Project 75(I) ______________________ 18 5.4.1. WHO TB Report and Roadmap ________ 38 3.4. Smart Border Fence ________________ 19 5.4.2. Leprosy in India ____________________ 39 5.4.3. Nepal Eliminates Trachoma ___________ 40 3.5. Drone Regulations in India __________ 19 5.5. Other News ______________________ 40 3.6. Other Defence Projects in News ______ 20 5.5.1. Triple Drug Therapy for Lymphatic Filariasis 3.6.1. Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) ______ 20 (ELEPHANTIASIS) ________________________ 40 3.6.2. Missile Prahaar ____________________ 20 5.5.2. Rare Diseases ______________________ 40 3.6.3. Milan-2t Anti-Tank Missiles __________ 20 5.5.3. ‘P Null’ Phenotype __________________ 41 3.6.4. Barak-8 Missile ____________________ 20 5.5.4. Bacteria Wolbachia _________________ 41 3.6.5. National Advance Surface to Air Missile 5.5.5. WHO Publishes Essential Diagnostics List 41 System-II (NASAMS) _____________________ 20 5.5.6. Celiac disease ______________________ 41 3.6.6. Avangard Hypersonic System _________ 21 3.6.7. Pinaka Rocket _____________________ 21 6. IPR _____________________________ 43 3.6.8. LCA Tejas _________________________ 21 6.1. WIPO Treaties ____________________ 43 3.6.9. Chinook Helicopters ________________ 21 6.2. IPrism ___________________________ 44 3.6.10. Artillery Gun ‘Dhanush’ _____________ 21 7. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY _____________ 45 1 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW 8468022022 7.1. India’s First Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) Battery 10.2. Call for Two Time Zones in India _____ 55 Project ______________________________ 45 10.3. Coloured X-Ray on Human _________ 56 7.2. Thermal Battery __________________ 45 10.4. International Year of The Periodic Table 7.3. Hydrogen-CNG ____________________ 45 of Chemical Elements __________________ 56 7.4. World’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train _ 46 10.5. Science-Based Targets _____________ 57 7.5. Apsara-U ________________________ 46 10.6. FASTag _________________________ 57 7.6. World’s First Floating Nuclear Plant ___ 47 10.7. Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) _________ 57 8. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ________ 48 10.8. Artificial Leaf ____________________ 57 8.1. Prime Minister's Science Technology and 10.9. 106th Indian Science Congress ______ 58 Innovation Council (PM-STIAC) __________ 48 10.10. Other Important News ___________ 58 8.2. Mission Innovation ________________ 48 10.10.1. New Element with Magnetic Properties 8.3. Atal Tinkering Marathon ____________ 48 Discovered _____________________________ 58 8.4. Recent Initiatives Related to Research _ 49 10.10.2. Formalin ________________________ 58 10.10.3. Bisphenol A (BPA) ________________ 59 9. AWARDS_________________________ 52 10.10.4. Shifting North Magnetic Pole _______ 59 9.1. Noble Prizes 2018 _________________ 52 10.10.5. Firecrackers Developed by CSIR _____ 59 9.1.1. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine __ 52 10.10.6. Oneer __________________________ 59 9.1.2. Nobel Prize in Physics _______________ 52 10.10.7. Ideate for India ___________________ 59 9.1.3. Nobel Prize in Chemistry _____________ 53 10.10.8. Telerobotic Surgery _______________ 59 9.2. Fields Medal _____________________ 54 10.10.9. CUSAT Stratosphere-Troposphere Radar 10. MISCELLANEOUS _________________ 55 (CUSAT ST-205 Radar) ____________________ 59 10.1. Overhaul of SI Units ______________ 55 Copyright © by Vision IAS All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS 2 8468022022 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW 1. BIOTECHNOLOGY 1.1. DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE AND 1.2. HUMAN MICROBIOME APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL Why in news? Why in news? Indian Human Microbiome Initiative, led by The Lok Sabha recently passed DNA Technology (Use National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR) - and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019. National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) has been put up for approval. More on news More on news • The Bill regulates the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of persons in • The project will include collection of saliva, respect of criminal matters and civil matters stool and skin swabs of 20,000 Indians across such as parentage disputes, transplantation of various ethnic groups from different human organs etc. geographical regions. • The bill also provides for: establishment of a • Scientists have found that Indian population, DNA Regulatory Board; accreditation of DNA particularly tribals, have distinct gut laboratories undertaking DNA testing, microbiota. Such tribal populations are analysing, etc.; establishment of the National largely unaffected by “modern” diet and and Regional DNA Data Banks. have lower prevalence of lifestyle diseases. • Written consent by individuals is required to What is Microbiome? collect DNA samples from them. Consent is • not required for offences with punishment of The collective genome of all micro-organisms more than seven years of imprisonment or contained within the human body, residing death. inside tissues & bio-fluids is called Human Microbiome. It includes DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists and viruses. • It is the hereditary material in humans and almost • Most of them have either commensal (co- all other organisms. exist without harming humans) or mutualistic • Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is (each benefit from the other) relation. called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA • can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is The composition of microbiome is shaped by called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA). factors such as genetics, dietary habits, age, • DNA is made up of molecules called nucleotides. geographic location and ethnicity. Each nucleotide contains a phosphate group, a • Human microbiome makes up around 2% of sugar group & a nitrogen base. The four types of the body mass of the adult. There are 10 times nitrogen bases are adenine(A), thymine(T), as many outside organisms as there are guanine(G) & cytosine (C). human cells in human body. • DNA is a