Contents
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
- DARPAN-PLI App
- DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT)
- MetCenterLeh
- Digital Ocean
- Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI)
BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE (BARC)
Focus: GS 3;Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Why in News?
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai develops Eye Cancer therapy in the form of the first indigenous Ruthenium 106 Plaque for treatment of Ocular Tumours.
About Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
- The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India’s premier nuclear research facility, headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Homi Jehangir Bhabha Ji was the founder of BARC, he is known as the “father of Indian nuclear program.”
- BARC is a multi-disciplinary research centre with extensive infrastructure for advanced research and development covering the entire spectrum of nuclear science, engineering and related areas.
- BARC’s core mandate is to sustain peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation.
- It manages all facets of nuclear power generation, from the theoretical design of reactors to, computerized modeling and simulation, risk analysis, development and testing of new reactor fuel materials, etc.
- It also researches spent fuel processing and safe disposal of nuclear waste.
- Its other research focus areas are applications for isotopes in industries, medicine, agriculture, etc. BARC operates a number of research reactors across the country.
About Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Inventions
- Bhabha Kavach was developed indigenously by Defence organizations like Ordnance Factory Board and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) with transfer of carbon-nanomaterial technology from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
- BARC also designed and built India’s first Pressurized water reactor at Kalpakkam.
- A 80MW land based prototype of INS Arihant’s nuclear power unit, as well as the Arihant’s propulsion reactor.
DARPAN-PLI APP
Focus: GS 3;Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Why in News?
New version of DARPAN-PLI App deployed in Core Integration System (CIS) with facility of processing various financial and non-financial requests of PLI/RPLI insurants at 127115 Branch Post Offices
About Darpan-PLI App
- With a view to achieve total digitization of postal operations in the country, under the IT Modernization Plan, Department of Posts has launched DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT OF RURAL POST OFFICE FOR A NEW INDIA (DARPAN) Project, which aims to connect all 1.29 lakh Rural Branch Post Offices in the country, to enable them to do online Postal and Financial Transactions.
- DARPAN-PLI App will help in the collection of the premium for PLI and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) policies at Branch Post Offices anywhere in India, with online updation of the policies.
- With the launch of this App, indexing of maturity claims in respect of PLI and RPLI policies can be done at Branch Post Office itself, upon which the insurant will immediately be provided with the request number for further references.
- The Hand-held devices installed under DARPAN Project will ensure improvement in the quality of Postal services being offered in remote rural areas.
- Customers in these areas can now avail the facility of online Core Banking, booking of Registered and Speed Post articles, booking of Money Orders, deposit of Postal Life Insurance / Rural Postal Life Insurance premium and indexing of PLI / RPLI maturity claims through hand-held devices being used at branch post offices.
DRDO YOUNG SCIENTIST LABORATORY FOR QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES (DYSL-QT)
Focus: GS 3;Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Why in News?
DRDO Young Scientists Laboratory Develops Quantum based technology for Random Number Generation
About DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT)
- DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) has developed a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) which detects random quantum events and converts those into a stream of binary digits.
- Random numbers have essential roles in many fields, such as Quantum Communication, cryptography (key generation, key wrapping, authentication etc.), scientific simulations, lotteries and fundamental physics experiments.
- The generation of genuine randomness is generally considered impossible with classical means.
- Quantum Mechanics has the inherent potential of providing true random numbers and thus has become the preferred option for the scientific applications requiring randomness.
- The generated random numbers are also evaluated and verified using DRDO’s indigenously developed Randomness Testing Statistical Test Suite of SAG.
- Recently the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated communication between its two labs using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology, which is a “robust” way to share encryption keys.
- The Applications of Quantum Technology is significant to satellites, military and cyber security among others as it promises unimaginably fast computing and safe, unhackable satellite communication to its users.
- With this development India enters the club of countries who have the technology to achieve the generation of random numbers based on the Quantum Phenomenon.
Please Click on this for detailed explanation about Quantum Communication Technology
MET-CENTRE-LEH
Focus: GS 3;Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Why in News?
Located at a height of 3500m, MetCenterLeh will be the highest meteorological centre in India
About Met-Centre-Leh
- The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Science & Technology and Health& Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated Meteorological (Met) Centre at Leh(Ladakh).
- Located at a height of 3500m, MetCenterLeh will be the highest meteorological centre in India.
- The Met Center will be a world-class facility for high altitude meteorology and will cater to the various kinds of weather and climate needs of the people and the administration of Ladakh.
- The Ladakh region has lofty mountains with high slopes and no vegetation.
- There is a lot of loose soil and debris making the region vulnerable to various kinds of natural hazards, like cloud bursts, flash floods, avalanches and glacial lake outbursts.
- There was a need to establish a state-of-the-art Met Centre at Leh to provide early warning and avert losses due to such weather events in future.
- To help the administration and the people of Ladakh, the IMD will provide a range of weather forecast services, ranging from short (three days) and medium (12 days) to extended (one month) periods to all the stakeholders on a daily basis for both the Leh and Kargil districts.
- Apart from district level forecast, IMD will provide forecast for important tourist places like Nubra, Changthang, Pangong Lake, Zanskar, Kargil, Drass, Dha-Baima(Aryan valley), Khalsi, etc. Some of the important services to be made available are Highway Forecast, Forecast for Mountaineering, Trekking, agriculture, flash flood warning, low and high temperatures among others
- The government will make every effort to provide the best possible weather services and make Ladakh safe and secure from the vagaries of weather.
DIGITAL OCEAN
Focus: GS 3;Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Why in News?
Dr Harsh Vardhan launches ‘Digital Ocean’ -the first of its kind digital platform for Ocean Data Management developed by INCOIS of MoES.
Digital Ocean is a big step towards Digital India, will help expand ‘Blue Economy’ and promote Atmanirbhar Bharat: Dr Harsh Vardhan
About Digital Ocean
- The Minister of Earth Sciences, Science & Technology, and Health Family Welfare Dr.Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the web-based application “Digital Ocean (www.do.incois.gov.in)” developed by INCOIS of M/o Earth sciences.
- Digital Ocean is a first of its kind digital platform for Ocean Data Management.
- Digital Ocean is a big step towards Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India i.e to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
- It includes a set of applications developed to organize and present heterogeneous oceanographic data by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology.
- It facilitates an online interactive web-based environment for data integration, 3D and 4D (3D inspace with time animation) data visualization, data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features, data fusion and multi-format download of disparate data from multiple sources viz., in-situ, remote sensing and model data, all of which is rendered on a georeferenced 3D Ocean.
- User Management component of Digital Ocean allows authentication of users, their roles and privileges of access to different data sets, categorization of data as per the data sharing guidelines, metadata management, mail management, usage statistics, system statistics, monitoring of observing platforms and addition of new data streams, etc.
- Digital Ocean will serve as a one stop-solution for all the data related needs of a wide range of users.
- ‘Digital Ocean’ helps to share this knowledge about the ocean with a wide range of users including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry and policy makers.
- It will play a central role in sustainable management of our oceans and expanding our ‘Blue Economy’ initiatives.
- Further, the Digital Ocean will be promoted as a platform for capacity building on Ocean Data Management for all Indian Ocean Rim countries.
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR VACCINES AND IMMUNISATION (GAVI)
Focus: GS 2;Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Why in News?
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan nominated to the Board of GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance
About GAVI
- GAVI (Created in 2000), officially Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (previously the GAVI Alliance, and before that the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) is a public–private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunization in poor countries.
- GAVI brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialized and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.
- GAVI has observer status at the World Health Assembly.
- GAVI’s strategy supports its mission to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunization in poor countries.
- It contributes to achieving the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals by focusing on performance, outcomes and results.
- Its partners provide funding for vaccines and intellectual resources for care advancement.
- They contribute, also, to strengthening the capacity of the health system to deliver immunization and other health services in a sustainable manner.
- India has pledged USD 15-million as India’s contribution to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI).
About GAVI’S Impact
- More children survive;-The increase in immunization has helped halve childhood mortality by preventing more than 14 million future deaths and dramatically driven down the incidence of deadly and debilitating infectious diseases.
- Nation building thrives;- As children become healthier, they, their families, communities and countries are more able to be economically prosperous and socially stable.
- For every US$ 1 invested in vaccines in Gavi-supported countries, there is a US$ 54 return in savings from averted illness and broader societal benefits of people living longer, healthier lives.
- To date, Gavi-supported vaccines have helped generate more than US$ 150 billion in economic benefits since 2000.
- And global health security improves;- In the face of global challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, human migration, fragility and conflict, Gavi has helped countries broaden vaccine coverage and improve their health systems.
- This makes them less susceptible and better able to prevent disease outbreaks that pose a threat to people in these countries, protecting millions of others around the world.
