Daily Prelims Notes 8 February 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

8 February 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Tripura board allows Kokborok in Roman script in examinations
2. A history of the Northern Ireland conflict
3. Can’t treat SCs as homogenous group, observes CJI-led Bench
4. In breakthrough, neural network ‘explains’ how it found new antibiotic
5. 390-year-old lamp post in Nalgonda unravels trade links of Telangana
6. Biden govt. sets tighter standards for soot pollution
7. EU sets new climate goal for 2040 — high ambition, yet gaps persist
8. ‘First’ patient free of cancer: Indigenous CAR-T cell therapy brings treatment cost down from Rs 4 crore to Rs 40 lakh
9. PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) Scheme
10. India’s First Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility- a major step in the Government’s path towards Atmanirbharata
11. Why the Union Budget’s plans for deep tech and research funding are significant

1. Tripura board allows Kokborok in Roman script in examinations

Subject: Geography

Section: Human geography

Context:

• Widespread protests by students, indigenous communities, tribal forums, and political parties against the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE).
• TBSE agrees to allow Kokborok language exam papers to be written in both Roman and Bangla scripts.
• Initially, only the Bangla script was allowed for Kokborok exams.

About Kokborok Language:

• It is the language spoken by the Borok people belonging to the State of Tripura.
• The term kok denotes “verbal”, and borok denotes “people” or “human”.
• It is a Sino-Tibetan language and can be traced back to at least the 1st century AD when the historical record of Tripuri kings started to be written down in a book called the Rajratnakar.
• The dialect belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group of languages, and its root can be traced to the Sino-Tibetan speech family.
• Kokborok got the written form in the year 1897 as Doulot  Ahammad, a Muslim scholar, wrote the first Kokborok Grammar viz. “KOKBOROMA ANG TRIPURA – VYAKARAN GRAMMAR.”
• It is one of the state languages of Tripura, notified on January 19, 1979.

Tripura:

• It is a state in northeast India.
• It is the third smallest state of India.
• It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east and by Bangladesh to the north, south and west.

Source: TH

2. A history of the Northern Ireland conflict

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

• An Irish nationalist made history recently by becoming Northern Ireland’s first minister as the government returned to work after a two-year boycott.
• The Parliament of Northern Ireland was paralysed over new trade rules between the European Union and the United Kingdom necessitated by Brexit.

Background

• Northern Ireland was created in May 1921 by partitioning Ireland, and consists of the six northeastern counties of the island.
• In 1922, the rest of Ireland gained independence from the British (today’s Republic of Ireland, with its capital in Dublin).
• Northern Ireland remained with the United Kingdom, but tensions simmered between the side loyal to the Crown, and the faction wanting to join the Republic.
• Today, the side loyal to the British Union are called unionists, while those who support a united and free Ireland are called nationalists.

Good Friday agreement or The Belfast Agreement

• By the end of the 1960s, a bloody conflict was raging in Northern Ireland among those who wished to remain with the UK and those who wanted to join Ireland.
• Finally, in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed to end the bloodshed, and gave Northern Ireland a unique system of governance.

Unique system of governance

• Both unionists and nationalists share power in Stormont, the Parliament buildings in Belfast. 
• Both sides have to cooperate for the government to work.
• While the faction that wins more votes in elections gets the post of First Minister, the other side gets the chair of Deputy First Minister, with equal power.

Northern Ireland Protocol and Collapse of Parliament in 2022

• After the UK left the European Union, Northern Ireland remained its only constituent that shared a land border with an EU-member, the Republic of Ireland.
• Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) together with Northern Ireland forms the United Kingdom.
• Since the EU and the UK have different product standards, border checks would be necessary before goods could move from Northern Ireland to Ireland.
• However, an open border between the two was a key component of the 1998 Good Friday agreement.
• Keeping this in mind, Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated in 2020 between the U.K. and the E.U.

About the protocol

• The protocol is a trading agreement that was negotiated in 2020 between the U.K. and the E.U.
• Under this agreement both the U.K. and E.U. agreed that the inspection of goods would be conducted between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• This agreement effectively created a de facto border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.
• Northern Ireland continued to follow many of the EU’s rules, meaning that lorries can continue to drive across the border without having to be inspected.
• The protocol was signed as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which is now ratified under international law.

Protocol led to the Collapse of Northern Ireland Parliament (Stormont) in 2022

• This protocol angered the unionists, who believed it undermined Northern Ireland’s position with the UK.
• Thus, the Unionists refused to allow government formation after Northern Ireland went to polls in May 2022, and did not allow Stormont to function.

The new deal

• Various efforts were made to resolve the problem, including the Windsor Framework of February 2023.

Windsor Framework

• The framework has two crucial aspects:
  • The introduction of a green lane and red lane system for goods that will stay in Northern Ireland and those that will go to the EU respectively;
  • The ‘Stormont Brake’, which allows Northern Ireland lawmakers and London to veto any EU regulation they believe affects the region adversely.
• British goods meant for Northern Ireland will use the green lane at the ports, and will be allowed to pass with minimal paperwork and checks.
• Goods destined for Ireland or the rest of the EU will have to take the red lane, with the attendant customs and other checks.
• The new Stormont Brake means the democratically elected Northern Ireland Assembly can oppose new EU goods rules that would have significant and lasting effects on everyday lives in Northern Ireland.

A new deal has been reached

• Windsor Framework was refused by the Unionist by saying that these measures were far too little.
• Now, a new deal has been reached, published as a command paper called ‘Safeguarding the Union’ by the UK government.
• Its three main points include:
  • The green lane is now called the UK Internal Market channel, on which checks and customs paperwork have been reduced further, to only “risk and intelligence-based checks” relating to “criminality, smuggling and disease”;
  • There is a “Internal Market Guarantee” which says that at least 80% of Great Britain to Northern Ireland goods will pass through this channel;
  • The UK government will extend a £3.3 billion package to help Northern Ireland’s finances.

3. Can’t treat SCs as homogenous group, observes CJI-led Bench

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context:

• A seven-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, observed that Scheduled Castes cannot be treated as a “homogenous group” for granting reservation as some may have advanced in society while other continue to remain “particularly underprivileged”.

More about News

• The debate revealed that the Bench was exploring a diametrically opposite view from that held in a 2004 Constitution Bench judgment in the E.V. Chinnaiah case. 
• In this verdict, 20 years ago, a five-judge Bench had held that Scheduled Castes were a “homogenous group” and sub-classification would be a violation of the right to equality.

What are Caste and Sub-Caste?

• Caste System in India: It is a social hierarchy that has existed for centuries, traditionally dividing people into different groups based on their occupations and social roles.
• Association with main categories: Brahmins (priests and scholars), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas (merchants and farmers), Shudras (laborers and service providers), and the outcastes.
• SubCastes: There are numerous sub-castes and sub-groups within each of these main categories. These sub-castes often originated from regional, occupational, or social distinctions.

What is Sub categorisation of Caste?

• Sub Categorisation of Caste: It refers to further classifying broader caste groups into sub-groups based on various criteria.
• Demand for Sub Categorisation of Caste: Over time, some castes and communities have sought recognition and specific privileges based on their unique characteristics, historical backgrounds, or socio-economic status.
• Sub-categorization attempts to address the diversity within larger caste groups and provide targeted benefits to specific sub-groups that may be perceived as socially and economically disadvantaged.

4. In breakthrough, neural network ‘explains’ how it found new antibiotic

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Awareness in IT and computers

Context:

• Scientists proposed the first artificial neural network, a technology that later led to the birth of deep-learning and artificially intelligent systems like ChatGPT, discovered streptomycin, the world’s first aminoglycoside antibiotic. It would soon revolutionise the treatment of life-threatening diseases like tuberculosis.

More about News: 

• A groundbreaking study in Nature revealed a symbiotic relationship between deep learning and antibiotics.
• Scientists employed deep learning algorithms to unearth a novel class of antibiotics, revolutionizing drug discovery.
• The findings hold promise in combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), offering a ray of hope amid a global health crisis. While experts applaud the study’s ingenuity, concerns linger regarding the transparency of deep learning models.
• Implicit integration of explainability could enhance trust and understanding, guiding future breakthroughs.

Significance: 

• As the nexus between artificial intelligence and antibiotics evolves, researchers navigate uncharted territories, driven by the shared quest for innovation and medical advancement.

About Deep Learning, Neural Networks and Machine Learning

• Deep learning, a subset of machine learning, has revolutionized the way machines process and interpret data. It teaches computers to do what comes naturally to humans; for example, in the case of Self-Driving cars, recognizing the signals to stop or go. Deep Learning involves the use of neural networks with multiple layers (three or more layers) to simulate human brain functions.
• All artificial neural networks are made of artificial ‘neurons’. These are algorithms that receive an input, perform a computation, and relay the output.

Machine Learning Vs Deep Learning 

• Machine learning employs a simple structure of neural networks with a limited number of layers, while deep learning uses a deep, hierarchical structure with multiple layers to capture complex relationships in the data.
• The Machine Learning though, is quick and easy to set up but may have limitations in effectiveness. Deep Learning takes more time to set up but gives immediate and effective results.
• Deep learning is well-suited for tasks involving image and speech recognition, while machine learning is used in tasks to recommend items on different shopping websites like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.

Applications of Deep Learning

• Image Recognition: It classifies images, clusters them by similarities, and performs object recognition within scenes.
• Law Enforcement: Deep learning algorithms are important in analyzing transactional data to detect patterns indicative of fraudulent or criminal activity. For example, speech recognition like Siri or Alexa and computer vision technologies
• Financial Services: Financial institutions leverage predictive analytics powered by deep learning to inform algorithmic trading, assess business risks for loan approvals, detect fraud, and manage credit and investment portfolios.
• Customer Service: Chatbots and virtual assistants like Slush, Maya, etc., employing deep learning technology, enhance customer service experiences. They utilize natural language processing and speech recognition to engage with users in a personalized manner, significantly improving the efficiency of customer support.
• Healthcare: Deep learning has found extensive applications in healthcare, particularly in medical imaging detecting disease from X-ray images and classifying them into several disease types in radiology. It aids specialists in interpreting a large volume of images in less time, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy.
• Medical Research: Cancer researchers are using deep learning to automatically detect cancer cells. Teams at UCLA built an advanced microscope that yields a high-dimensional data set used to train a deep learning application to accurately identify cancer cells.
• Education: It enables adaptive learning platforms that analyze individual student performance and edit content to suit their needs.
• Aerospace and Defense: Deep learning is used to identify objects from satellites that locate areas of interest, and identify safe or unsafe zones for troops.

5. 390-year-old lamp post in Nalgonda unravels trade links of Telangana

Subject: History

Section: Medieval India

Context:

• A 390-year-old Deepastambham (lamp post) discovered on the River Krishna’s edge in Nalgonda district, Telangana, highlights early medieval trade ties.

About Deepastambham (lamp post):

• The 20-foot tall pillar, with hollows for lamps and a multi-lingual inscription, was found in Mudimanikyam village.
• The discovery was made by Ashok Kumar from the Public Research Institute for History, Archaeology & Heritage, indicating a unique find in the Krishna River valley.
• Unlike the common Dhwajasthambham (flag pole) in temple architecture, lamp posts are rare in the Deccan region.
• The inscription, dated June 1635 and written in Telugu mixed with Tamil, suggests the pillar was dedicated to Kasi Viswanatha and possibly served as a lighthouse for riverine trade.
• The village’s proximity to Hyderabad, ruled by Qutb Shahi rulers during the period, and references by European travellers, including Tavernier, suggest the importance of riverine trade routes alongside land trade.

Source: TH

6. Biden govt. sets tighter standards for soot pollution

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

• The Biden administration has introduced stricter standards for soot pollution, aiming to reduce emissions from various sources like tailpipes and smokestacks (a chimney or funnel for discharging smoke from a locomotive, ship, factory, etc.) to prevent thousands of premature deaths annually.

About the new EPA rules:

• The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule could mandate power plants to capture smokestack emissions, a technology not widely used in the US.
• The new EPA rule is seen as a significant health improvement measure by environmental and public health groups, but industry groups fear it could result in manufacturing job losses and potential shutdowns of power plants or refineries.
• The rule is expected to bring $46 billion in net health benefits by 2032, including the prevention of up to 800,000 asthma attacks and 4,500 premature deaths, benefiting children, the elderly, those with heart and lung conditions, and communities historically impacted by industrial pollution.
• The regulation lowers the allowable fine particle pollution levels to 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air from the previous 12 micrograms set under the Obama administration.
• This rule mandates states and counties to meet the new air quality standards to reduce pollution.
• The rule applies to both existing and future plants.
• By 2038, almost all coal plants and large gas-fired plants would need to significantly reduce or capture their emissions, with non-compliant plants facing retirement.
  • The US electricity mix includes about 20% coal and 40% natural gas, with the rest from nuclear and renewables. The power sector’s carbon emissions are currently at 1984 levels, despite a 73% increase in electricity use.
• The new EPA rule doesn’t mandate specific carbon capture equipment but sets carbon dioxide pollution caps that the industry must meet, possibly leading to more use of carbon capture technology.

Associated challenges:

• Administration officials dismissed concerns about the rule’s impact on industry, noting technological advancements have enabled compliance with past standards, and highlighting the decline in soot pollution over the last two decades despite economic growth.
• Industry groups and some officials argue the stricter standard could hinder permitting for new or expanded industrial plants and potentially push companies to relocate to countries with laxer air-quality standards, contradicting the administration’s economic and environmental objectives.

Source: TH

7. EU sets new climate goal for 2040 — high ambition, yet gaps persist

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

• The European Union, through the European Commission, announced a new proposed climate goal, targeting a 90% reduction in net emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.

Details:

• This follows the EU’s previous commitment in September 2020 to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% below 1990 levels by 2030, an increase from an earlier target of 40%.
• The 2030 target was formalized as the EU’s second Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC in December 2020 and was enshrined in the EU Climate Law in 2021, which also commits the EU to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
• To support the 2030 target, the Commission released the “Fit for 55” package in 2021, offering proposals to meet the emissions reduction goal.
• The 2024 proposal for a 2040 target is part of an interim step mandated by the EU Climate Law, following the first Global Stocktake at the 28th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in Dubai in December 2023, which requires the development of a 2040 target within six months of the GST conclusion.

Fossil fuel phaseout sees a timeline for coal but with caveats:

• The Global Stocktake (GST) emphasized the need to transition away from fossil fuels, aligning with the EU’s 2040 target to significantly reduce the use of coal, rapidly decrease natural gas usage, and phase out oil last.
• Despite the transition, a minimal amount of fossil fuels will still be used, primarily for non-energy purposes and long-distance transport. The shift in the energy mix will decrease fossil fuel imports but may increase imports of raw materials and critical minerals for renewable energy deployment.
• The EU’s energy crisis prompted diversification of energy suppliers and an increase in liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, making the EU a key LNG importer.
• Record increases in renewable energy adoption in the EU saw wind and solar surpass fossil gas in electricity generation in 2022.
• The EU imports LNG from the United States, the Middle East, and Africa, with recent gas deals signed with Qatar and potential agreements with Nigeria and Mozambique, indicating continued gas imports beyond 2050.
• These gas import deals pose a risk of carbon lock-in and stranded assets, particularly for African countries expanding export capacities, especially if the EU’s new climate target leads to reduced fossil fuel imports.

Missing reflection of the EU’s historical emissions burden

• The EU’s 2030 goal aims for a 55% reduction in emissions, resulting in 2.16 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent based on 1990 levels, while the 2040 target of a 90% reduction would lead to 0.48 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent.
• The European Union Scientific Advisory Board for Climate Change recommended a reduction range of 90-95%, but the final 2040 proposal adheres to the lower end of this spectrum.

Heavy faith in carbon capture & CO2 removal:

• The EU’s 2040 climate proposal relies heavily on carbon capture, expecting carbon removals to reach 400 tonnes of CO2 by 2040, up from 310 tonnes of CO2 by 2030.
• Without carbon capture and removal technologies, actual emissions reduction would be around 84% by 2040, per Climate Action Tracker.
• The proposal envisions decarbonizing the energy sector shortly after 2040, utilizing renewables, nuclear, hydrogen, and carbon capture and removal technologies, with significant reliance on unproven carbon capture methods.
• About 40% of the carbon capture target is expected from direct air capture, which is costly.
• The 2040 proposal accompanies other climate policies like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Green Deal Industrial Plan, aiming to support domestic green technology manufacturing.
• The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) promotes the domestic production of green technologies and may include provisions for nuclear power.

Key initiatives in news:

1. Fit for 55:
   • Under this, the European Commission has asked all of its 27 member countries to cut emissions by 55 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.
2. Global Stocktake: 
   • It refers to a proposed five-year review of the impact of countries’ climate change actions.
   • Under the Paris Agreement, every country must present a climate action plan in five-year cycles.
   • The first global stocktake was scheduled for 2023 under the Paris Agreement.
   • It will assess whether the net result of the climate actions being taken was consistent to keep the increase in global average temperature from pre-industrial times to within 2 degrees Celsius.
   • It also recognises that money needs to be made available for Loss and Damage and energy transition in developing countries.
3. Climate Action Tracker:
   • An independent scientific analysis that tracks government climate action and measures it against the globally agreed Paris Agreement aim of “holding warming well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.” A collaboration of two organizations, Climate Analytics and New Climate Institute, the CAT has been providing this independent analysis to policymakers since 2009.
4. Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA): The European Commission proposed the NZIA on 16 March 2023.
   • NZIA will help strengthen the European manufacturing capacity of net-zero technologies and overcome barriers to scaling up the manufacturing capacity in
   • The measures in the Regulation will increase the competitiveness of the net-zero technology industrial base and improve the EU’s energy resilience.
   • This proposal shows Europe’s commitment to playing a leading role in the net-zero technology transition and helping to deliver on the Fit-for-55 and REPowerEU
5. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM):
   • CBAM is part of the “Fit for 55 in 2030 package”, which is the EU’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels in line with the European Climate Law.
   • The CBAM is a policy tool aimed at reducing Carbon Emissions by ensuring that imported goods are subject to the same carbon costs as products produced within the EU.
   • Implementation:
     • The CBAM will be implemented by requiring importers to declare the quantity of goods imported into the EU and their embedded Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions on an annual basis.
   • To offset these emissions, importers will need to surrender a corresponding number of CBAM certificates, the price of which will be based on the weekly average auction price of EU Emission Trading System (ETS) allowances in €/tonne of CO2 emitted.
   • Objectives:
     • CBAM will ensure its climate objectives are not undermined by carbon-intensive imports and spur cleaner production in the rest of the world.

Source: DTE

8. ‘First’ patient free of cancer: Indigenous CAR-T cell therapy brings treatment cost down from Rs 4 crore to Rs 40 lakh

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Health

Context:

• Dr (Col) V K Gupta has been declared cancer-free since he took the indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital.

More on news:

• The therapy is developed by ImmunoAct, IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital, the therapy has been administered to 15 patients in India.
• Months after India’s drug regulator approved the commercial use of CAR-T cell therapy, a pioneering treatment that genetically reprogrammes a patient’s immune system to fight cancer, Gupta, a Delhi-based gastroenterologist, became one of the first patients to access the therapy by paying Rs 42 lakh.
• Doctors at the Tata Memorial Hospital, where he underwent the procedure, said he is “currently free of cancer cells”, the first commercial patient to achieve that status.

About NexCAR19:

• NexCAR19 is  the indigenously developed therapy that Gupta underwent, is a treatment for B-cell cancers (types of cancers that form in the immune system’s cells) such as leukemia and lymphoma. 
• It has been developed collaboratively by ImmunoACT, a company incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), IIT-B and Tata Memorial Hospital.
• The commercial use of this therapy was approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in October 2023.
• NexCAR19 is available in over 30 hospitals in more than 10 cities in India.
• Patients over the age of 15 years who suffer from B-cell cancers are eligible for this one-time therapy at these centers.
• Currently, the treatment cost  is in a price range of Rs 30-40 lakh for CAR-T therapy.
• The  ultimate goal is to bring the cost down to Rs 10-20 lakh. 

Who can get the NexCAR19 therapy?

• The therapy is for people with B-cell lymphomas who didn’t respond to standard treatments like chemotherapy, leading to relapse or recurrence of the cancer.
• Recovery typically occurs within two weeks after one cycle of the treatment. 
• In our data, approximately 70% of patients respond to the treatment, with variations between leukemia and lymphoma cases.
• About 50% of these responsive patients achieve a complete response.

About CAR-T cell therapy:

• As part of the therapy, the patient’s T-cells (types of immune cells) are collected and genetically modified into potent cancer fighters known as CAR-T cells so that they express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific to cancer cells.
• The modified CAR-T cells are then expanded in the laboratory before being infused back into the patient.
• These engineered cells recognise and attack cancer cells, with a focus on B-cell cancers, thus offering a targeted and potent immunotherapy.
• CAR-T is a revolutionary therapy that modifies immune cells, specifically T-cells, by turning them into potent cancer fighters known as CAR-T cells. 
• T-cells are special cells (white blood cells that find and fight illness and infection) whose primary function is cytotoxic, meaning it can kill other cells.
•  In CAR-T therapy, we genetically modify them into cancer-fighting cells. 
• These supercharged cells are then put back into the body, and they go after cancer cells — especially in blood cancers like leukemia and lymphomas.

Is India’s indigenous CAR-T cell therapy any more or less effective than CAR-T cell therapies abroad?

• Specifically, it leads to significantly lower drug-related toxicities.
• It causes minimal damage to neurons and the central nervous system, a condition known as neurotoxicity.
• Neurotoxicity can sometimes occur when CAR-T cells recognise the CD19 protein and enter the brain, potentially leading to life-threatening situations.
• The therapy also results in minimal Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), which is characterized by inflammation and hyperinflammation in the body due to the death of a significant number of tumor cells, as CAR-T cells are designed to target and eliminate cancer cells.

First CAR-T cell therapy to get CDSCO approval

• Immuno ACTs is the first CAR-T cell therapy to get CDSCO approval in  many hospitals, including Chandigarh-based Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
• They are also conducting groundbreaking clinical trials in the use of CAR-T cell therapy to treat cancer.
• The commercial use of this therapy to treat certain blood cancers was approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in October 2023.
• Pulitzer Prize-winning oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjea is also conducting his first phase II multicentre CAR-T cell therapy study. His start-up Immuneel is working on the therapy.

How effective and different is this from other cancer treatments like, say, chemotherapy?

• While chemotherapy and immunotherapy may add a few months or years to a cancer patient’s life, cell-and-gene therapy is designed to cure and provide lifelong benefit.
• It makes treatment easier with a one-time therapy (unlike several sessions of chemotherapy) that can be truly transformative for a patient.
• It’s a lifeline for non-responsive cancer patients.

9. PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) Scheme

Subject: Schemes

Section: Science

Context:  

• Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Lok Sabha had described the objectives of the PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) Scheme.

More on news:

• The Union Cabinet Chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the overarching scheme “PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI)” of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, for implementation during the period from 2021-26 at an overall cost of Rs. 4,797 crore.
• The scheme encompasses five ongoing sub-schemes namely:
  • “Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)”, “Ocean Services, Modelling Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)”, 
  • “Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER)”, 
  • “Seismology and Geosciences (SAGE)” and 
  • “Research, Education, Training and Outreach (REACHOUT)”.
• The research & development and operational (services) activities of MoES are carried out by ten Institutes of MoES, viz. India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), National Centre for Seismology (NCS), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS), Hyderabad, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS). 
• A fleet of oceanographic and coastal research vessels of the Ministry provide required research support for the scheme.

Objectives of the scheme:

• Augmentation and sustenance of long-term observations of the atmosphere, ocean, geosphere, cryosphere and solid earth to record the vital signs of the Earth System and change
• Development of modeling systems for understanding and predicting weather, ocean and climate hazards and understanding the science of climate change
• Exploration polar and high seas regions of the Earth towards discovery of new phenomena and resources;
• Development of technology for exploration and sustainable harnessing of oceanic resources for societal applications
• Translation of knowledge and insights from Earth systems science into services for societal, environmental and economic benefit.

10. India’s First Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility- a major step in the Government’s path towards Atmanirbharata

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Space tech

Context:

• A crucial step in the country’s journey towards Atmanirbhar Bharat has been achieved with India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility successfully established and tested by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK).
• Establishment of such a facility will position India globally for advanced experimental hypersonic research. 
• It is a major capacity boost for India’s space and defense sectors and puts India in a better position to develop advanced hypersonic technologies and systems fast-forwarding the Hon’ble PM’s dream of a scientifically advanced nation.

More on news:

• The development of the facility was supported by the Fund for Improvement in S&T Infrastructure (FIST) of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) with a sum of Rs 4.5 Crores in 2018.
• The facility was developed by the Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur and is capable of generating flight speeds between 3-10 km/s, simulating the hypersonic condition.
• Named S2, it was indigenously designed and developed and is a valuable test facility for ongoing missions of ISRO and DRDO including Gaganyaan, RLV and hypersonic cruise missiles.

About the facility:

• The facility consists of 4 major sections i.e. free piston driver, compression tube, shock /acceleration tube and test section with a high vacuum system for generating and sustaining the hypersonic flow. 
• The complete instrumentation of the facility i.e. pressure sensors and associated equipment / instruments for acquiring and processing the data and the vacuum system with test section and associated instrumentation was acquired through the DST- FIST program.
• Hypersonic research activities are fast growing in India and the implementation of Hypersonic Test Facility in India will enable more aerospace engineers and researchers to pursue hypersonic research.
• The research activities and data generated in the facility will serve as an input for optimization of existing vehicles as well as futuristic defense and Space Missions.

11. Why the Union Budget’s plans for deep tech and research funding are significant

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Awareness in IT and computers

Context:

• In the Interim Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 1 lakh crore fund to provide long-term, low-cost or zero-interest loans for research and development.

More on news:

• A promise has been made  to launch a new scheme to strengthen deep-tech capabilities in the defense sector — an announcement that is likely to be followed up later in the year with a larger policy to promote deep tech startups across all sectors, not just defense.
• The separate announcements on the fund and defense deep tech are intricately linked, and must be seen together with the government’s other plans for the R&D sector.

The 1 lakh crore corpus

• Rs 1 lakh crore corpus to finance research and development becomes important.
• Startups and other private sector ventures who can obtain seed money for their projects are expected to be the main beneficiaries.
• The idea is to start the flow of money in the research ecosystem  and the hope is that as projects take off, industry would be encouraged to invest its own money, and the pool would grow, benefiting everyone in the research community.
• Expectations of the infusion of private sector money into research have been believed earlier.
• Even where funds are available, delays and interruptions in disbursal often affects projects.
• There have been only nominal increases in budgetary allocations of its science and research departments in the Interim Budget. 
• The highest increase, for CSIR, which runs a network of 37 labs, is all of about 9%, and the Department of Space has received only a 4% increment in its budget. 
• The Departments of Atomic Energy and Biotechnology, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences have actually had their budgets slashed.

What is deep tech:

• The term “deep tech” was coined by Swati Chaturvedi, the founder and CEO of the online investment platform Propel(x), which connects early stage Deep Tech with investors.
• Deep tech, or deep technology, refers to those startups whose business model is based on high tech innovation in engineering, or significant scientific advances. 
• Deep technology (also deep tech or DeepTech) or hard tech is a classification of organization, or more typically startup company, with the expressed objective of providing technology solutions based on substantial scientific or engineering challenges.
• They present challenges requiring lengthy research and development, and large capital investment before successful commercialization.
• Their primary risk is technical risk, while market risk is often significantly lower due to the clear potential value of the solution to society.
• The underlying scientific or engineering problems being solved by deep tech and hard tech companies generate valuable intellectual property and are hard to reproduce.

Applications of Deep Tech:

• Advanced Materials
  • These are new or modifications of existing synthetic or biobased materials that yield superior performance.
  • Oftentimes, new materials are developed using two or more existing materials that differ significantly from one another, but when combined, result in a material with its own characteristics (like fiberglass), called a composite material.
  • Example of such advanced materials are –
    • Photovoltaic films
    • Biodegradable plastic
• Artificial Intelligence
  • AI refers to the simulation of human-like intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and perform tasks that used to be the exclusive purview of humans.
  • The launch of voice assistants, medical imagery analysis, big data analytics, etc. are a sure-shot sign that machines can be developed to do any task that a human can do.
• Biotechnology
  • Biotechnology involves developing valuable products by exploiting existing biological processes or by developing new ones.
  • Genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics and vaccines, genetically modified seeds that are more resistant to climate change and pests, etc. are some examples of how biotechnology is disrupting the current system.
• Blockchain
  • Blockchain is a growing list of records called blocks that stores a history of transactions in a secure and transparent way.
  • The users of the blockchain can track the history and add to the blockchain but can’t modify the existing blocks.
• Robotics & Drones
  • Robotics is the intersection of science, engineering and technology producing machines called robots to perform tasks in an automated fashion.
  • Usually, deep tech is used to develop robots to get the work done in industries where the working environment is dangerous or hazardous for humans.
  • The new technology makes use of human senses in robots to develop more self-sufficient artificially intelligent robots that permit mobility and decision making in an unistructural environment to help humans complete tasks in even a better way.
  • Drones are a subclass of robots that can fly and are usually more mobile.
  • These robots are often used to transport goods, map territory, or for surveillance purposes.
• Photonics & Electronics
  • Photonics is a discipline of science focused on generating and harnessing the properties of photons (particles of light).
  • It involves the use of lasers, optics, fiber-optics, and electro-optical devices in numerous fields of technology like alternate energy, manufacturing, telecommunication, security, etc.
• Quantum Computing
• Quantum computing refers to leveraging the unique properties of matter at nanoscale to solve computational problems, such as integer factorization substantially faster than classical computers.
• Several quantum computing models exist today, like –
• Quantum Circuit Model,
• Quantum Turing Machine,
• Adiabatic Quantum Computer,
• One-Way Quantum Computer, And
• Various Quantum Cellular Automata.

Why does deep tech matter?

• Deep tech refers to advanced and disruptive technologies, many of which are still under development, that have the potential to trigger transformative change, and provide solutions for the future.
• The term is used to describe cutting-edge research in nanotechnology, biotechnology, material sciences, quantum technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data sciences, robotics, 3D printing, etc. 
• These technologies are expected to play a key role to address complex global challenges like climate change, hunger, epidemics, energy access, mobility, physical and digital infrastructure, and cyber security.
• Advanced capabilities in deep tech are also likely to enhance productivity and drive economic growth and create jobs in coming years, and offer competitive advantage to countries with strong foundations in these areas.
• With its large base of relatively high-quality science and engineering manpower and a fairly well-established technology culture, India feels it is well placed to be one of the frontrunners in these areas.

Building an ecosystem for Deep Tech.

• The government has tried to incentivise research in some of these areas by setting up a National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage and National Quantum Mission.
• The National Deep Tech Startup Policy (NDTSP), piloted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, is currently awaiting government approval.
• The policy seeks to address specific challenges faced by technology startups, and to provide them with a platform to compete and collaborate with the best in the world.
• The idea is to create a deep tech startup ecosystem by offering the right incentives to companies that invest time and money in innovation and research.