GENES TO ELIMINATE RICE CROP RESIDUE BURNING
Why in news? The Scientists at Pune based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) have mapped two alternative dwarfing genes Rht14 and Rht18 in wheat. These genes are associated with better seedling vigour and longer coleoptiles (sheath protecting the young shoot tip). Details Scientists ARI have mapped the dwarfing genes on chromosome 6A in durum wheat. The […]
TEXTILES COMMITTEE: INDIGENOUS PPE TESTING EQUIPMENT
Why in news? The Textiles Committee will now test and certify PPE body coveralls required for healthcare workers and other COVID-19 warriors. Details The inclusion of Textiles Committee as the ninth approved laboratory to test and certify body coveralls has been announced by the Ministry of Textiles on 20th May. The Ministry of Textiles has been […]
AGAPPE CHITRA MAGNA FOR DETECTION OF COVID 19
Why in news? The commercial launch of, Agappe Chitra Magna, a magnetic nanoparticle-based RNA extraction kit for use during testing for detection of COVID-19 developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) – Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Agappe Diagnostics […]
MAN-MADE METEOR SHOWER TO PROTECT EARTH FROM ASTEROIDS
Why in news? If all goes according to plan, in September 2022, a NASA spacecraft, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, or DART, will slam into a space rock with the equivalent energy of three tonnes of TNT. Why is DART going to slam into a space rock? The goal is to nudge the orbit […]
DEFANGING AI
AI should be deployed for purposes that raise productivity but do not displace workers in the country, makes good sense, given India’s problem of unemployment For decades, production has been highly capital intensive despite the abundant availability of labour Rules that make it hard to let go of workers also act as a disincentive to […]
EVOLVING BRAIN: IMPACT OF INCOME INEQUALITY
Income inequality is an undeniable reality in India and in most other parts of the world Research studies seek to understand how income levels may be correlated with differences in the structure of the human brain. The brain evolves constantly over a person’s lifespan This happens as a response to the brain’s external environment—which is […]
RIDING ON DATA FOR MOBILITY
The digital revolution has made interactions between humans and machines, and among citizens, governments and businesses, seamless and efficient Data usage in transport sector An efficient transportation system would help ease congestion, reduce travel time and cost, and provide greater convenience. Data from multiple sources such as CCTV cameras, automatic traffic counters, map services, and transportation service […]
MAPPING LIFE: GENOME INDIA PROJECT
Details: The Genome India Project, a collaboration of 20 institutions including the Indian Institute of Science and some IITs, will enable new efficiencies in medicine, agriculture and the life sciences. Uses would be in personalised medicine, anticipating diseases and modulating treatment according to the genome of patients. If propensities to disease can be mapped to […]
TEST OF GREEN BUILDINGS LIE IN OPTIMISING RESOURCE AND ENERGY USE
‘Green’ and ‘Sustainable construction’ have evolved from a fringe movement to achieving mainstream status The ‘Green’ industry has turned the ideology from being ‘a way of life’ to a mere marketing tool There is no doubt that buildings contribute to over 40 per cent of all carbon emissions in the world and therefore, must be […]
FOR A DATA FIREWALL
Why in news? The report by a German cybersecurity firm that medical details of millions of Indian patients were leaked and are freely available on the Internet is worrying. The firm listed 1.02 million studies of Indian patients and 121 million medical images, including CT Scans, MRIs and even photos of the patients, as being available Such […]