Daily News Analysis

India’s Ballistic Missile Defence Program

Recent Developments Successful Flight-Test: DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) recently conducted a successful flight-test of the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System. The test involved the Phase-II Air Defence (AD) Endo-atmospheric missile, which was launched from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur. The missile was launched following the detection of a

16 Jul,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)

Why in the News? NITI Aayog's recent release of the ‘White Paper: Responsible AI for All (RAI) on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)’ is significant. The paper explores FRT as the first use case under the RAI principles, setting out guidelines for the responsible development and deployment of FRT in India. About Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) Facial Recognition Technology

08 Jul,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Indigenous Light Tank Zorawar

Development: The Zorawar, India's indigenous light tank, is a collaborative effort between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Prototype: The prototype of the Zorawar is complete and will soon begin extensive trials to validate its performance and capabilities. Key Features: Weight and Mobility: The Zorawar is classified a

04 Jul,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES FOR FOOD SAFETY

Nuclear technologies play a crucial role in ensuring food safety and advancing agricultural practices. Lets look at how these technologies contribute across various domains: 1. Animal Health Nuclear technologies, particularly Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, are vital for diagnosing diseases in animals. PCR is a molecular technique that amplifies and detects specific DNA sequence

18 Jun,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Gene Drive Technology (GDT)

Gene Drive Technology (GDT) represents a revolutionary approach in genetic engineering with the potential to significantly impact fields such as disease control, pest management, and conservation. Gene Drive Technology (GDT) Definition: Gene Drive Technology is an advanced genetic engineering technique designed to increase the likelihood of a specific gene being passed on to nearly all offsp

12 Jun,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

TRISHNA Mission

ISRO's collaboration with the French space agency CNES for the TRISHNA mission marks an exciting advancement in satellite technology and environmental monitoring. Scheduled for launch, TRISHNA (Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) will be equipped to capture high-resolution thermal infrared imagery. This capability is crucial for monitoring

03 Jun,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Juice jacking

Overview: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a cautionary message to mobile phone users about juice jacking. About Juice jacking: The term “juice jacking” was first coined in 2011 by investigative journalist Brian Krebs. It is a form of cyberattack where a public USB charging port is tampered with and infected using hardware and software changes to steal d

06 Mar,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Vijay Raghavan Panel Report

A 9-member panel headed by the former principal scientific advisor to the government Prof. Vijay Raghavan have submitted its report. Aim of the committee - To review the functioning of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Reasons - Several projects of DRDO suffer from huge delays and cost overruns. According to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on

04 Feb,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Tomahawk Missile

It is a US-made long-range cruise missile used for deep-land attack warfare.It can be launched from a ship or submarine and deliver its warhead precisely to a target at a long range. It flies at low altitudes to strike fixed targets, such as communication and air-defense sites, in high-risk environments where manned aircraft may be vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles.

31 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Cyber kidnapping

Context: A Chinese student who was a victim of ‘cyber kidnapping’ has been found in rural Utah, unharmed. The 17-year-old, Kai Zhuang, was reported missing on December 28. By the time the police traced him, his parents back in China had paid $80,000 in ransom. What is cyber kidnapping? Cyber kidnapping is a criminal activity wherein the perpetrators persuade the victim to go i

29 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Ugram

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab and a Hyderabd based private firm launched an indigenous assault rifle named Ugram recently. The rifle is weighing less than 4 kg with a 500-meter firing range. It is designed and developed to meet the operational requirements of the Indian armed forces, Para military forces, and state police forces.

28 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Astra Missile- Indian Missile development

The Minister of State for Defence recently flagged off the indigenously developed Astra Missiles for supply to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Bharat Dynamics in Hyderabad. Astra Missile Astra is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile designed to be mounted on fighter aircraft. It is indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation&n

21 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

X-65

The X-65 is an experimental jet aircraft developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. It is a full-scale aircraft to demonstrate a new method of flight control that uses no external moving parts.

18 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

DRDO anti-drone technology

With rising use of drones, DRDO develops own counter technology. Indigenous - The DRDO is developing an indigenous counter-drone technology, which is capable of counter-attacks including detection, soft kill and hard kill of all types of drones. The counter-drone system is ready for production and is already demonstrated to armed services and other internal security agencies. Te

12 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Pegasus spyware

Context: The Washington Post and human rights non-profit Amnesty International have alleged that the spyware instance known as Pegasus continues to be in use, on this occasion targeting journalists in India. Based on newfound data the two organisations have said the phones of founding editor of The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan, and South Asia editor of the Organised Crime and Corruption Report

07 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPOSAT)

ISRO's XPoSat was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. About- India's inaugural scientific satellite to measure space-based polarization of X-ray emissions from celestial sources such as black holes and neutron stars in the medium energy band (8-30 keV). Orbit location - Low earth orbit (650 km), low inclination o

05 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Project Kusha-Defence

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on the Project Kusha to operationally deploy its own long-range air defense system by 2028-29. Aim – To develop India’s own Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (LR-SAM) Jointly developed with - Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel’s major aerospace and aviation manufacturers Ranges - Hi

04 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

INS Imphal

CONTEXT: INS Imphal to be commissioned today. Its capabilities, and the strategic significance of Visakhapatnam class of destroyers Commissioning marks the day that a ship joins active service. INS Imphal, the third ship of the Visakhapatnam class stealth-guided missile destroyers (Project 15B), is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy. The class is designed by the Indian Navy

04 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

DFRP and Nuclear Energy

Prime Minister dedicated to the nation, indigenously developed Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. The plant - It is a pilot for the bigger facility that would come up to reprocess the fuel that would come out of the two more 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactors (PFBR) that would come

02 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

MedTech Mitra

Context: The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, virtually inaugurated 'MedTech Mitra,' a strategic initiative aimed at empowering MedTech innovators and advancing healthcare solutions. About: The platform, MedTech Mitra, serves as a support system for young talents, guiding them in shaping their research, knowledge

01 Jan,2024 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

SAFETY TEST FOR GAGANYAAN

Why in the News? ISRO is set to carry out the first of a series of tests of systems and procedures of Gaganyaan mission, in less than two months after the Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing. The safety test: The Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1): It will demonstrate the performance of the Crew Escape System of the Gaganyaan project. The flight will be the first

20 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

CENTRE ROLLS BACK PLAN ON PC IMPORT CURBS

Why in the News? The central govt. has rolled out an ‘import management system’ for IT hardware, including laptops and computers, withdrawing its earlier notification on import curbs. This comes after concerns were raised by US, China, South Korea and Taiwan at a recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting. However, India introduced the curbs as a security measure, ra

20 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

GAGANYAAN MISSION

The mission involves sending astronauts into a low-earth orbit in 2025, using Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3). The rocket LVM-3, which will take the crew to orbit. The rocket will have ‘human rating’ of the vehicle. An environmental control and life support system ‘ECLSS’ has been developed as a part of the system which is basically for controlling the temperat

18 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

ISRAEL’S MISSILE DEFENCE SHIELD- IRON DOME

ISRAEL’S MISSILE DEFENCE SHIELD- IRON DOME Why in the News? Around 2,200 rockets were fired towards southern and central Israel through a multi-pronged attack by Gaza-based militant group Hamas from land, sea and air, which was shot down by ‘Iron Dome’ defensive shield of Israel. Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system: Iron Dome is a short-range anti-rocket, a

16 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

PPP in Semiconductor manufacturing

Why in the News? Six working groups’ report on framing Indian government’s artificial intelligence (AI) roadmap have recommendations for public-private partnerships to make semiconductors for AI applications. PPP in Semiconductor manufacturing: The PPP model would be leveraged to build so-called “GPU clusters”. Such GPU clusters shall act as masses o

14 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Significance of quantum dots in nanotechnology

Significance of quantum dots in nanotechnology Why in the News? The Nobel Prize for chemistry 2023 was awarded to Alexei I. Ekimov, Louis E. Brus, and Moungi G. Bawendi “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots”. What is a quantum dot? It is a small assembly of atoms around a few nanometres wide. The small assembly of atoms gives

08 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

mRNA research that was used to fight COVID

mRNA research that was used to fight COVID Why in the News? The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 2023 was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their “discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of mRNA vaccine technology. What are mRNA vaccines? mRNA (messenger RNA) is a form of nucleic acid which carries genetic i

08 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. Radiocarbon (14C) is constantly created in the Earth’s atmospher

08 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

OTOP1 protein

OTOP1 protein Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda first proposed umami as a basic taste in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter which was officially agreed the scientific community after 80 years. Now, it has been found that the tongue responds to ammonium chloride (salmiak salt), which has been recognised as a 6th basic sense. The tongue responds

08 Oct,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

India’s Semiconductor Industry

India’s Semiconductor Industry Why in the News? India has geared up to set up its first ever semiconductor fabrication unit and is poised for a vibrant chip industry in the next 3-4 years with an aim to grow the manufacturing ecosystem in India. India’s Manufacturing ecosystem: Presently, 99% of mobile phones for domestic use are made in

30 Sep,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

M.S. Swaminathan: Man of Science & Humanity

M.S. Swaminathan: Man of Science & Humanity Why in the News? The Father of Green Revolution of India, Dr.M.S. Swaminathan passed away recently. Green Revolution (GR) in India: M S Swaminathan worked closely with Norman Borlaug to usher in the Green Revolution in India in the mid-1960s. India’s food insecurity in the 1960s: I

29 Sep,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Mahendragiri stealth frigate

Mahendragiri stealth frigate It is the 7th stealth frigate under the Indian Navy's Project named after Mahendragiri mountain peak of the Eastern ghats, located in Odisha. It is also the last Nilgiri-Class stealth frigate for Indian navy. It was built by Mazagaon dock shipbuilders Ltd. as a part of achieving the goal of AtmaNirbhar Bharat and

29 Sep,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Kakrapar Atomic Power project (KAPP3)

Kakrapar Atomic Power project (KAPP3) It is the largest indigenously developed 700-megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear power reactor unit in Gujarat attained it first criticality in 2020, has started operations in 2023. First criticality signifies the initiation of a controlled, but sustained nuclear fission reaction in the nuclear power plant. It is a variant of

29 Sep,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Leveraging air power is critical to India’s big power ambitions

The Indian air force has been looked upon as a mere support service, adjunct to the service-specific operational strategies of the continental and maritime domains, thus portraying India as a surface-centric security force. Key advantages offered by Air force: Creating a unique hard power deterrence over the South China Sea. Ensuring maritime and ae

29 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Aditya L1 Mission

Why in the News? The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its spacecraft Aditya-L1 to study the Sun, on September 2,2023. What is the Aditya-L1 mission? The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will carry the 1,475-kg spacecraft to an elliptical orbit around the Earth. The spacecraft will travel 1.5 million km from the Earth to the

29 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

News media versus Open AI’s ChatGPT

Why in the News? Recently, a group of news media organisations, including The New York Times, Reuters and CNN blocked the OpenAI’s ability to access their content. This comes on the background that The New York Times is planning on suing the artificial intelligence (AI) research company over copyright violations. What is OpenAI? OpenAI

29 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Shiv Shakti, Tiranga, Jawahar Sthal

Shiv Shakti, Tiranga, Jawahar Sthal The touch down sites of spacecrafts send to the lunar surface has been named recently. After Chandrayaan-1 mission of 2008, the site where the probe crashed (as it was meant to for the purposes of the mission), was named “Jawahar Sthal” after the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Chandrayaan-3 lan

29 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

After Chandrayaan-3, what are ISRO’s plans?

After Chandrayaan-3, what are ISRO’s plans? Why in the News? India became the 4th country to have soft-landed a robotic instrument on the moon and the 1st to land in the moon’s south polar region, by the touch down of Chandrayaan-3 on Aug 23, 2023. What are ISRO’s focus areas? Focus areas of ISRO: Gaganyaan

27 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Picoflare jets

Picoflare jets Picoflare jets are small jets of charged particles that are expelled intermittently from the corona of the Sun, at supersonic speeds. They could emanate from coronal holes where the sun’s magnetic field stretches into the space. The picoflare jets could supply energy and plasma to the solar wind (a c

27 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Sodium-ion battery packs

Sodium-ion battery packs Na-ion cells offers an efficient alternative to lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) as the latter has disadvantage over lithium and other battery raw material prices. The three main Na-ion cathode type that uses low-cost materials than Li-ion cathodes. Prussian white layered oxide polyanion Therefore, Na-ion is expected to b

25 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Chandrayaan-3’s landing, the experiments: lunar quakes and water-ice on Moon

After Chandrayaan-3’s landing, the experiments: lunar quakes and water ice on Moon Why in the News? India has successfully made the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the lunar surface, becoming the first country to land on lunar south pole and 4th country to land on moon (after the US, Soviet Russia and China). The Mission Experiments: Four experiments to be conducted

24 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

ASTRA Missile

ASTRA Missile LIGHT COMBAT Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has successfully fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile. ASTRA is a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile. It is developed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets. It has been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRD

24 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)

DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) A Research & Development wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India. It aims to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems. It also intends to equip the armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment

24 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

India and Russia’s Moon missions

Why in the News? Russia has launched a mission to the moon name Luna-25 that could land on the moon days before Chandrayaan-3 in the Lunar South Pole, likely to take away the title of the first country soft -land close to the South Pole Why is Russia reaching the moon earlier than India? Luna-25 was launched in Soyuz rocket almost a month afte

16 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

NavIC

Aadhar enrolment devices across the country is set to be integrated with NavIC. Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), a regional navigation satellite system was formerly known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an Indian version of the American GPS. It was established to meet the positioning, navigation and timing requirements of th

11 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

India’s Ballistic Missile Mission

India’s Ballistic Missile Mission Ballistic missile: A ballistic missile is rocket-propelled self-guided strategic weapon system that follows a ballistic trajectory to deliver a payload from its launch site to a predetermined target. A Ballistic Missile Trajectory India&rsqu

09 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Superconductors

Superconductors Why in the news? The South Korean scientists have reported to have found a material called LK-99 capable of being a superconductor at room temperature and ambient pressure. LK-99 Superconductor: LK-99 is a copper-substituted apatite, capable of exhibiting superconducting property. The material can exhibit superconductivity without the need to cool it to a very low

08 Aug,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Matsya-6000

In an undersea implosion, the Titan submersible's entire crew perished. In a locally developed vehicle called the Matsya-6000, Indian scientists are getting ready to make a similar plunge. Similar to the Titan submersible, which just vanished, scientists are getting ready for a Deep Sea Dive with the Vehicle Matsya-6000 in late 2024. In late 2024, the Matsya-6000

03 Jul,2023 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology

Chapter 7: Green Telecom

Introduction • With the introduction of 5G technology, it is anticipated that the number of towers, small cells, and BTS (or equivalent electronics) would significantly increase, which will accelerate GHG and carbon emissions and have a knock-on effect on global warming. • In order to lessen the telecom industry's negative impact on the ecosyst

30 Oct,2022 GS-3 Indigenization of Technology & Developing New Technology