Science & Technology

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Army inducts indigenous Akashteer system

Context: Akashteer PRoject aims to bolster the operational efficiency and integration of the Army’s air defence mechanisms.

GS-Paper 3, Science & Tech, Defence 

About Akashteer System

  • The Akashteer system aims to bolster the Army's air defence mechanisms by automating control and reporting processes.
  • Improved air defence capabilities are crucial for safeguarding the nation's airspace and protecting against aerial threats.
  • Akashteer system developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a public sector undertaking, showcasing India's growing self-reliance in defence technology.
  • Aligns with the government's "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiatives to promote indigenous manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign imports.

Technology and Innovation

  • Digitization of processes:
    • The Akashteer Project digitizes the entire air defence control and reporting process, marking a significant technological advancement.
    • Digitization streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and facilitates faster decision-making in complex air defence scenarios.
  • Cutting-edge initiative:
    • The Akashteer system is described as a cutting-edge initiative, indicating the use of advanced technologies and innovative solutions.
    • Embracing cutting-edge technologies is essential for modernizing the armed forces and staying ahead of evolving security challenges.

Defence Modernization

  • Meeting current and future requirements:
    • The induction of Akashteer Control Centres is aimed at meeting both current and futuristic requirements of complex air defence operations.
    • Continuous modernization of defence systems is necessary to adapt to changing geopolitical landscapes and emerging threats.
  • Year of Tech Absorption:
    • 2024 has been designated as the 'Year of Tech Absorption' by the Army, signifying a focus on integrating advanced technologies into military operations.
    • Rapid absorption of new technologies is crucial for maintaining a technological edge and enhancing operational capabilities.

Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence

  • Indigenous development by BEL:
    • BEL, a leading Indian defence electronics company, has developed the Akashteer system, showcasing India's growing expertise in defence technology.
    • Indigenous development reduces dependence on foreign imports and strengthens India's defence industrial base.
  • Boosting domestic defence industry:
    • The induction of the Akashteer system supports the growth of the domestic defence industry and creates employment opportunities.
    • The total order book of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) stands at around Rs 76,000 crore. This provides revenue visibility for the next couple of years. In the fiscal year 2023-24, BEL secured orders worth around Rs 35,000 crore. The company continues to secure a significant portion of its orders domestically.
  • Operational Efficiency
    • The Akashteer system aims to significantly enhance the operational efficiency of the Army's air defence mechanisms.
    • Improved operational efficiency enables quicker response times, better coordination, and effective utilization of resources.
  • Integration of air defence mechanisms:
    • The Akashteer system facilitates the integration of various air defence components, enabling seamless communication and coordination.
    • Integrated air defence systems provide a comprehensive and cohesive approach to defending against aerial threats.

DESI unveils new 3D map of Universe

Context: Researchers, including a team from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, have unveiled the most holistic “three-dimensional” map of the universe, from the observations by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, measuring how fast the universe expanded over 11 billion years.

Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument: 

image 10
  • Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is a scientific instrument designed to peer into the distant universe and study dark energy. It is mounted over the Mayall 4-Meter Telescope in Arizona, United States.
  • DESI works by collecting the faint light from millions of galaxies and quasars, then splitting that light into its component colours using a technique called spectroscopy. By analysing the spectrum of light from these distant objects, astronomers can learn about their composition, motion, and distance from Earth. 
  • Through it, the researchers have been able to collect light from six million galaxies (some of which were present around 11 billion years ago) and were able to measure the distances between these galaxies with a very high degree of accuracy. Thus, they were able to unveil a three-dimensional map of the Universe.  
  • Significance: 
    • Knowing the precise distances of the galaxies is crucial because that allows us to calculate the expansion rate of the universe.
    • This could provide insights into the secrets of dark energy and give insights into new Physics. Eventually, it will offer a vital perspective into the origin and evolution of the universe.
  • The DESI collaboration has so far discovered that the expansion rate of the universe was rising by 68.5 km per second after every 3.26 million light-years of distance.

Dark Matter and Dark Energy: 

  • Dark matter and dark energy together make up 95% of the universe. Around 68% of the Universe is made of dark energy while dark matter makes up 27%. 
  • Only the remainder (5%) is composed of fermionic matter, i.e., things on the Earth, planets, stars, etc.
image 11

Dark Matter: 

  • Dark matter is completely invisible and has not yet been observed directly. It does not interact with matter, emits no light or energy and thus cannot be detected directly by conventional sensors and detectors.
  • Scientists are confident it exists because of the gravitational effects it has on galaxies and galaxy clusters.

Dark Energy: 

  • The existence of dark energy was theorised 25 years ago, when a team of researchers found that the expansion of the Universe was speeding up or accelerating, instead of slowing down due to gravity (inwards pulling force). Scientists have hypothesised that this is happening due to a mysterious form of energy called dark energy. 

Characteristics of Dark Energy:

  • Dark energy has been hypothesised as a repulsive force or anti-gravity, i.e. while gravity tends to make objects attract, dark energy would pull them apart by increasing the space between them. Thus, dark energy has an expansionary effect. As our universe is expanding, it indicates that dark energy has a greater abundance than dark matter. 
  • Dark energy is a property of space, so it does not get diluted as space expands.
    • Normally, as the universe expands the density of mass and radiation in it decreases.
    • However, the density of dark energy remains constant throughout. This means the dark energy in the universe is ever increasing, in order to keep the energy-density constant. Thus, dark energy should be energy inherent in the fabric of space itself. 

US-UK AI Safety Testing Agreement

Context: The US-UK agreement represents a major step towards international cooperation in ensuring the safe and responsible development of AI technologies. It highlights the shared commitment of both nations to address the challenges and risks associated with advanced AI systems.

The agreement reflects the increasing global awareness of the potential risks and benefits of AI and the necessity for collaborative efforts to guide its development. It underscores the importance of establishing international standards and guidelines for AI safety, security, and ethics.

AI Safety and Security

  • US-UK Agreement
    • The agreement facilitates the sharing of critical information on AI capabilities, risks, and best practices between the US and the UK.
    • It promotes the alignment of approaches to ensure the safe deployment of AI systems and enables joint testing exercises to assess the performance and reliability of AI models.
    • The agreement also encourages personnel exchanges between AI Safety Institutes to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
    • Follows commitments made at the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (2023)
  • Importance of AI Safety
    • AI safety measures are crucial to address the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems, such as algorithmic bias, privacy violations, and security vulnerabilities.
    • Ensuring the safety of AI systems is essential to prevent unintended consequences and protect individual rights and societal values.
    • Responsible AI development involves transparency, accountability, and the incorporation of human oversight and control.
  • Potential Impact of the Agreement
    • The US-UK agreement sets the stage for enhanced global cooperation in AI safety and security, encouraging other nations to follow suit and collaborate on this critical issue.
    • The agreement serves as a model for other nations to emulate, inspiring them to forge similar partnerships and prioritize AI safety in their own AI development efforts.
    • The agreement recognizes the potential risks of AI in spreading misinformation and undermining election integrity, and seeks to develop strategies to counter these threats.

AI Regulation and Policy

  • US Efforts
    • The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the US has initiated a consultation process to gather insights on the risks, benefits, and potential policy implications of open-source AI models and dual-use foundation models.
    • President Biden issued an executive order in 2023 that outlines the US government's commitment to ensuring the safe and responsible deployment of AI systems.
    • In 2022, the White House released a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, which sets forth principles and guidelines for protecting individual rights and promoting the responsible use of AI.
  • EU AI Act
    • The proposed European Union AI Act seeks to establish comprehensive safeguards on the use of AI systems, with specific provisions for high-risk applications such as law enforcement.
    • The act aims to ensure that AI systems are transparent, explainable, and subject to human oversight, while also empowering consumers to challenge decisions made by AI systems.
    • The EU AI Act recognizes the potential for AI misuse and seeks to establish clear accountability mechanisms for AI developers and deployers.
  • India's Approach
    • India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued evolving advisories on the deployment of AI systems in the country.
    • The advisory, issued on March, 2024, directed intermediaries to label any under-trial/unreliable artificial intelligence (AI) models, and to secure explicit prior approval from the government before deploying such models in India.
    • The Indian Government is developing an AI regulation framework, set for release in mid-2024, with the intention of harnessing AI for economic growth and addressing potential risks and harms.

Open-Source AI Models and Implications

  • Prominent Examples
    • Meta has released Code Llama 70B, the largest and best-performing model in the Code Llama family. Code Llama is a state-of-the-art large language model (LLM) capable of generating code, and natural language about code, from both code and natural language prompts.
    • OpenAI's ChatGPT has been released through a controlled API and product-based approach.
    • Dual-Use Foundation Models with widely available weights, enabling both beneficial and malicious applications
  • Implications for Innovation and Competition
    • In 2024, open-source pretrained AI models have gained significant traction, empowering businesses to accelerate growth by combining these models with private or real-time data.
    • Generative AI challenges a core tenet of traditional intellectual property frameworks: only works created by humans are protected by copyright laws.
    • Emerging use cases around generative AI are disrupting traditional views of creativity, authorship, and ownership and pushing the boundaries of copyright law.
    • In 2024, open-source technology faces increased scrutiny as its prolific use, including in proprietary coding, raises the need for pervasive security screening.

Implications for India

  • The AI advisory in India emphasizes transparency, content moderation, consent mechanisms, and deepfake identification to ensure responsible AI deployment and safeguard electoral integrity.
  • AI presents significant opportunities for economic growth in India. The AI industry is estimated to grow year-over-year at a CAGR of 30%. India's AI market is growing at a CAGR of 25-35% and is projected to reach around $17 billion by 2027.
  • However, the adoption of AI technologies may lead to job displacement in certain sectors. As per market trends, more than 16 million working employees in India will need reskilling and upskilling due to AI's influence by 2027.
  • AI technologies have the potential to enhance law enforcement capabilities in India. However, the use of AI in law enforcement also poses risks, such as bias, privacy violations, and potential misuse of power.
  • An updated toolkit for responsible AI practices in law enforcement has been released by INTERPOL and UNICRI in 2024.
  • The NITI Aayog released an approach paper that explores the various ethical considerations of deploying AI solutions in India.

Opportunities for India

  • The digital divide in India is being addressed. There were 751.5 million internet users in India at the start of 2024, when internet penetration stood at 52.4 percent. Initiatives like BharatNet aim to bridge the digital divide and potentially lead to a major positive shift.
  • The Cabinet has approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI mission with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore. The IndiaAI mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships across the public and private sectors.
  • India holds a prominent global position in AI skill penetration and talent concentration, showcasing a strong base of AI professionals. There were 4.16 lakh AI professionals, poised to meet the increasing demand expected to reach 1 million by 2026.
  • AI-driven platforms deliver insights to farmers on topics like disease risks, yield forecasts, labor needs, crop protection, weather impacts on crops, and harvest windows.
  • AI has been used thoughtfully by educators to support learning and to give them "time back" in their day. AI applications in education will be overwhelmingly administrative.

Way Forward for India

  • Developing a National AI Strategy
  • Establishing a dedicated AI governance framework and regulatory body
  • Allocating resources and creating incentives for AI research and innovation
  • The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit. GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI.
  • India is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024.

Countries like Japan, Rwanda, Benin, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal have developed comprehensive AI strategies and governance frameworks. The Hiroshima AI Process was launched by the G7 under Japan's presidency in May 2023, with the aim of promoting safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.

Ozone on Jupiter’s moon

Context: An international team of scientists, including from India, has discovered strong evidence indicating the presence of ozone on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto.

Importance of Ozone: 

  • Ozone molecule is composed of three oxygen atoms bonded together.
  • The ozone layer is found in the lower part of the earth’s stratosphere, around 15–35 km above ground, and serves as a shield as it completely absorbs ultraviolet-B and ultraviolet-C radiation.
    • Ultraviolet-B (wavelengths 290–320 nanometres) and ultraviolet-C (100-280 nanometres) can damage DNA, trigger mutations, inhibit plant growth and increase the risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans.
  • Without the ozone layer, UV-radiation levels would be much higher on Earth’s surface, rendering it uninhabitable for many species and disrupting entire ecosystems.
  • Rationale of the study: Scientists are currently studying various celestial bodies in the Solar System that show signs of ozone, suggesting the existence of stable atmospheric conditions and, by extension, their possibility of hosting life. 
image 2

Callisto and its unique environment: 

  • Callisto is one of Jupiter’s largest moons and the third-largest moon in the Solar System after Ganymede (Jupiter’s moon) and Titan (Saturn’s moon).
  • Callisto is primarily composed of water ice, rocky materials, sulphur dioxide, and some organic compounds. These substances make the moon a potential candidate for supporting life in the solar system beyond the earth. 
  • Callisto’s surface is heavily cratered, indicating a long history of being struck by asteroids and comets. 
  • It lacks the extensive seismic activity, which is present in some of Jupiter’s other moons like Europa.
  • It has relatively few geological features which suggest that Callisto’s surface is geologically inactive or relatively stable for a long time. This stability could be vital to preserve any subsurface ocean or potential habitats beneath the icy crust.

The Experiment: 

  • The Scientists modelled the surface of Callisto icy surface conditions in a lab, and analysed the chemical reactions occurring on the surface of Callisto when sunlight hits its surface (caused by ultraviolet radiation).
    • The experiments were conducted at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre (NSRRC) in Taiwan, which provided access to high-energy radiation sources required to recreate the radiation coming from the Sun.
    • To do this, the researchers used vacuum ultraviolet photons (of wavelength 137.7 nanometres), which mimic the solar radiation that reaches the moon’s surface.
    • To model the surface of Callisto, the researchers placed a substrate of lithium fluoride in a chamber with very low pressure. This environment recreated conditions similar to those found in outer space.
    • The sulphur dioxide ice samples were deposited onto the substrate, setting the stage for the final step: observing the absorption spectrum.
      • The absorption spectrum is the unique fingerprint of a substance.’
      • It shows the wavelengths of light it absorbs, providing insights into its composition and properties.
    • Finally, they irradiated the ice with vacuum-ultraviolet photons and recorded its ultraviolet absorption spectrum during and after the irradiation using a photomultiplier tube detector. 
  • The ultraviolet absorption spectrum revealed the formation of ozone after the sulphur dioxide ice samples were irradiated.
  • The researchers also compared their experimental data with data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope, which had also suggested the presence of sulphur dioxide and ozone on the surface of Callisto in 1997.

Significance: 

  • The discovery of ozone on Callisto suggests the presence of oxygen, which in turn is a fundamental ingredient required for the formation of complex molecules required for life such as amino acids. 
  • The investigation into the chemical evolution of ‘SO2 astrochemical ice’ (ice primarily composed of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the presence of ultraviolet irradiation) would shed light on the chemical processes and composition of the surface of Callisto. 
  • Hence, the findings would help in understanding Callisto’s environment and the potential habitability of icy moons in the Solar System.

H5N1 Virus: Bird flu

Context: United States has confirmed the presence of avian influenza strain H5N1 in dairy cattle for the first time. The same strain has also killed thousands of seals and sea lions in coastal stretches from the USA to Chile.

Influenza Virus:

  • There are four species of Influenza Virus viz. Influenza-A, Influenza-B, Influenza-C and Influenza-D. 
  • Influenza A infects birds and mammals. Influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease in people (known as flu season) almost every winter in the United States. Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics (i.e., global epidemics of flu disease).
  • Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). There are 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes (H1 through H18 and N1 through N11, respectively). 
  • Influenza C Virus: Detected less frequently and usually causes mild infections, thus does not present public health importance. 
  • Influenza D virus: primarily affects cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in people. 
  • It has a very high rate of mutation, and this is the reason that so many different strains of influenza virus are found. 
  • Various strains of Virus differ in certain proteins on the virus surface — hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins. This is the basis of naming viruses. 
  • The common Influenza outbreaks caused by Influenza-A strains include H1N1 (swine flu); H5N1, H5N8, H2N9 (Bird Flu).

About Avian Flu:

  • Avian influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. 
  • These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Avian flu viruses do not normally infect humans. 
  • However, sporadic human infections with avian flu viruses have occurred. 
  • Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). 
  • There are 18 known HA subtypes and 11 known NA subtypes. Many different combinations of HA and NA proteins are possible. 
  • For example, an “H7N2 virus” designates an influenza A virus subtype that has an HA 7 protein and an NA 2 protein. Similarly, an “H5N1” virus has an HA 5 protein and an NA 1 protein. 

DOES IT SPREAD EASILY TO HUMANS? 

  • No, it does not. Generally, people coming in close contact with infected alive or dead birds have contracted the H5N1 bird flu, and it does not usually spread from person to person, as per the WHO. 
  • There is also no evidence, the WHO says, that the disease can be spread to people through properly prepared and cooked poultry food. The virus is sensitive to heat and dies in cooking temperatures. 

THEN WHY THE SCARE? 

  • H5N1 is severe and deadly – around 6 out of 10 confirmed cases in humans have led to deaths (though the actual mortality rate may be lower due to under-reporting of asymptomatic cases). 
  • If the virus mutates and becomes easily transmissible from person to person, say by altering its shape to grab human cells much more effectively, it can potentially cause a pandemic. 
  • Also, flu viruses are more prone to mutation because they have a segmented genome. All known strains of flu – including the seasonal flu and the pandemic flu – have jumped from birds to humans in this way. 

Successful test firing of Stage-2 of Vikram 1 space launch vehicle by Skyroot Aerospace

Context: Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test fired the Stage-2 of Vikram Space launch vehicle, called Kalam-2 at the propulsion testbed of ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Vikram-1 is India's first private orbital rocket launch, and its Stage-2 is called Kalam-250.

  • Vikram-1 is a small-lift launch vehicle being developed by Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian private space company. 
  • When launched, it will become India's first privately-developed orbital rocket, marking a significant milestone in the country's space sector. 
  • The rocket's second stage, which is responsible for propelling the payload into orbit after the first stage separates, is named Kalam-250. 
  • This stage has been successfully test-fired, bringing Skyroot Aerospace closer to their goal of launching Vikram-1.

Kalam-250 rocket motor utilizes high-strength carbon composite material and solid fuel propellant.

  • The Kalam-250 rocket motor, which powers the second stage of the Vikram-1 rocket, is made of high-strength carbon composite material, which uses solid fuel and a high-performance Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) Thermal Protection System (TPS).
  • This lightweight yet robust material helps to reduce the overall weight of the rocket while maintaining structural integrity. 
  • Additionally, the Kalam-250 uses solid fuel propellant, which is a type of rocket fuel that is stable, easy to store, and provides high thrust. 
  • The combination of carbon composite material and solid fuel propellant makes the Kalam-250 an efficient and reliable rocket motor.

IN-SPACe is responsible for promoting and regulating private sector participation in space activities.

  • The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre, known as IN-SPACe, established a government entity under the Department of Space. 
  • Its primary objective is to promote, encourage, and regulate the participation of private companies in India's space sector. 
  • IN-SPACe acts as a single-window agency for private entities, helping them navigate the regulatory framework, obtain necessary permissions, and access ISRO's facilities and expertise. 
  • By streamlining the process and providing support, IN-SPACe aims to foster the growth of India's private space industry and attract investments.

Skyroot Aerospace is the only private company in India to have successfully launched both suborbital and orbital rockets. 

  • While Skyroot Aerospace has indeed successfully launched a suborbital rocket called Vikram-S in November 2022, they have not yet launched an orbital rocket. 
  • Suborbital rockets are designed to reach space but not complete an orbit around the Earth, while orbital rockets are capable of placing payloads into orbit. 
  • Vikram-1, which is currently under development by Skyroot Aerospace, will be their first orbital rocket. 

International Astronomical Union

About International Astronomical Union:

  • The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is a non-governmental organisation that works to advance astronomy. It was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Paris, France.
  • Primary functionsof IAU:
    • Promoting astronomical research, communication, education, and development through international cooperation.
    • Assigning designations and names to celestial bodies (stars, planets, asteroids, etc.) and any surface features on them. 
    • Establishing standards for astronomical observation and data. 
  • The IAU is a member of the International Science Council (ISC). It has over 12,000 individual members from more than 100 countries.

Planetary Nomenclature:

  • Planetary nomenclature is used to uniquely identify a feature on the surface of a planet or satellite so that it can be easily located, described, and discussed.
  • IAU is the internationally recognised authority for assigning names to planetary surface features. It follows some rules and conventions to do so.
    • The IAU’s Rule 9 states: “No names having political, military or religious significance may be used, except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century.”

Key Facts:

  • Recently, IAU’s working group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name “Statio Shiv Shakti” for the landing site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander. 
  • Recently, IAU has named an asteroid after an Indian astro-scientist Prof. Jayant Murthy for his contributions to astronomy, especially to the New Horizons mission. His team’s endeavour to observe ultraviolet background radiation in the outer Solar System, where the interference from the Sun and interplanetary medium is minimal, have played a crucial role in broadening understanding of cosmic phenomena.
    • New Horizons is an interplanetary space probe launched by NASA's in 2006. 
    • It is the first spacecraft to explore Pluto, flying by the dwarf planet and its moons on July 14, 2015. 
    • In early 2019, New Horizons flew past its second major target – Arrokoth, the most distant object ever explored up close. (Arrokoth is a trans-Neptunian object located in the Kuiper belt)
image 103

Asteroid Belt:

  • Asteroids are rocky remnants from the early formation of our solar system (about 4.6 billion years ago) that mainly orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
  • The asteroid belt is a nearly flat ring that contains millions of asteroids, ranging in size from less than 10 metres to 530 kms (The largest asteroid is Ceres, which is about one-quarter the size of Earth’s moon). 

Mump Diseases

Context: Mumps cases have been spreading rapidly in Kerala since November 2023, particularly in the districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad, and Thrissur, resulting in major community outbreaks.

About Mumps Disease

  • It is a viral disease caused by mumps virus, which belongs to the paramyxovirus family. 
  • It is highly contagious and spreads through respiratory droplets or direct contact with an infected person. 
  • The disease is known for causing painful swelling of the salivary glands, particularly the parotid glands located near the ears.
  • Mumps is a self-limiting, airborne viral disease that primarily affects children and adolescents, causing fever, headache, and painful swelling of the salivary glands.
  • Complications of mumps include encephalitis, epilepsy, aseptic meningitis, acute pancreatitis, and potential infertility or a drop in sperm count in males.
  • Creating public awareness about the disease and the importance of isolation is crucial in controlling the transmission of mumps.

Symptoms of mumps include:

  • Swollen and tender salivary glands
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite

Complications of mumps can include inflammation of the orchitis, ovaries (oophoritis), pancreas (pancreatitis), and brain (encephalitis). In rare cases, mumps can lead to hearing loss or sterility.

Status of Mumps Disease in India:

  • Prevalence: Mumps is still prevalent in India, with occasional outbreaks reported in various parts of the country. However, the incidence has decreased significantly due to the introduction of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in the national immunization program.
  • Vaccination: India introduced the MMR vaccine in its Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) in 2017. The vaccine is administered in two doses, first at 9-12 months of age and the second dose at 16-24 months of age. The coverage of the MMR vaccine has been increasing steadily since its introduction.
    • Despite the availability of a vaccine against mumps, it is not part of the government’s universal immunisation programme. However, children can receive the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccine against all three diseases at private centres.

Mumps vaccine exclusion from India's Universal Immunisation Program:

  • Mumps vaccine is not part of India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) due to the disease's low mortality profile and perceived low public health significance.
  • Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) advocates for the use of the MMR (Mumps-Measles-Rubella) vaccine in the UIP.
  • Kerala has written to the Central Government about the mumps resurgence and the need to replace the MR (Measles-Rubella) vaccine in the UIP with the MMR vaccine.
  • Public health significance: Mumps is often considered a mild, self-limiting disease in children, with a low mortality rate. 
  • While complications can occur, such as orchitis, meningitis, or encephalitis, these are relatively rare compared to the complications associated with other vaccine-preventable diseases like measles or diphtheria.
  • Resource allocation: Given the limited resources and the need to prioritize, the Indian government has focused the UIP on diseases with higher morbidity and mortality rates, such as tuberculosis, polio, and measles. 
  • Including the mumps vaccine in the UIP would require additional funding and logistics, which may divert resources from other pressing public health issues.

WHO recommendation to integrate mumps control:

  • Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine: The WHO recommends using the combined MMR vaccine to control mumps, measles, and rubella simultaneously. 
  • This vaccine is highly effective and has been widely used in many countries' immunization programs.
  • Efficiency and cost-effectiveness: Integrating mumps control with measles and rubella programs is an efficient and cost-effective approach. 
  • It allows countries to target three diseases with a single vaccine, reducing the number of injections and simplifying the immunization schedule.
  • Global goals: The WHO has set global goals for measles elimination and rubella control. By integrating mumps control with these programs, countries can work towards achieving these goals while also addressing mumps incidence.

ISRO’s RLV LEX-02 Mission

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out the landing mission of its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) named 'Pushpak' in the Reusable Launch Vehicle – Landing EXperiment (RLV LEX-02) on March 22, 2024. 

Major Highlights:

image 78
  • The RLV LEX-02 landing experiment, is the second of the series, was conducted at Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga in Karnataka.
    • The RLV-LEX-01 mission was accomplished in April 2023. 
  • RLV-LEX-02 demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of RLV from off-nominal initial conditions at release from Chinook Helicopter.
    • Pushpak Viman is a winged vehicle built like a space plane/ shuttle which has the capacity to take the payloads to the Low Earth Orbit and return it back to the Earth. 
    • The vehicle was lifted by an Indian Airforce Chinook helicopter and was released from 4.5 km altitude.
    • After release at a distance of 4 km from the runway, Pushpak autonomously approached the runway, and landed precisely using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes and nose wheel steering system.
  • This mission successfully simulated the approach and high-speed landing conditions of RLV returning from space. 

Significance: 

  • With the mission, ISRO has re-validated indigenously developed technologies in the areas of navigation, control systems, landing gear and deceleration systems essential for performing a high-speed autonomous landing of a space-returning vehicle. This would be a critical step towards developing future Orbital Re-entry missions. 
  • Developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle aims to enable low-cost access to space. 
  • Further, the vehicle can be configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and powered cruise flight.

International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE)

Context: 41st Steering Committee Meeting of International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) is being hosted in India.

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About International Partnership for Hydrogen & Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE)

IPHE is an international partnership mechanism to organise and implement, effective, efficient and focused international research, development, demonstration and commercial utilisation activities related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

The formation of IPHE was facilitated by US Department of Energy and US Department of Transportation in 2003 to foster international cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell.

Membership of IPHE: 23 Countries including India and the European Commission. However, membership of IPHE does not result in any legally binding obligations on Partners.

Functions of IPHE are:

  • Identify and promote potential areas of bilateral and multilateral collaboration on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
  • Analyse and recommend priorities for research, development, demonstration and commercial utilisation of hydrogen technologies and equipment.
  • Analyse and develop policy recommendation on technical guidance, including common codes, standards and regulations to advance hydrogen and fuel cell technology development, demonstration and commericial use.
  • Foster implementation of large-scale, long-term public private cooperation to advance hydrogen and fuel cell technology and infrastructure research, demonstration and commercial use, in accordance with Partners' priorities.
  • Coordinate and leverage resources to advance bilateral and multilateral cooperation in hydrogen  and fuel cell technology research, development, demonstration and commercial utilisation.
  • Address emerging technical, financial, legal, market, socio-economic, environmental and policy issues and opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cell technology that are not currently being addressed elsewhere.

Organisation of IPHE

  • Chair of the IPHE is elected by IPHE members for a term of two years, with a potential for renewal.
  • Steering Committee with two representatives for each of the Partner countries governs the overall framework and procedures of IPHE.
  • Secretariat of IPHE to be coordinate overall activities of IPHE.

Funding of IPHE: Any costs arising from the activities will be borne by the Partner that incurs them. Secretariat Office is supported by voluntary contributions (Financial or in-kind) of all members.

BhashaNet Portal launched for Promoting Universal Acceptance of Internet

Context: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) have launched the BhashaNet Portal on the Universal Acceptance Day.

About BhashaNet Portal

BhashaNet Portal has been developed by NIXI and MEITY to develop an ecosystem to enable citizen to easily create, communicate, transact, process and retrieve information with ease in digital medium without language barrier.

  • Encouraging use of local language website name and email id.
  • Promoting awareness of local language url and email id.
  • Developing policies and regulations.
  • Supporting technical collaboration.
  • Engagement of website owners, web-developer community, web security experts.
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Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)

  • These enable people to across the world to use domain names in local languages and scripts. IDNs are possible in all Indian languages since they are formed using characters from different scripts such as Hindi, Bengali, Gujrati or Tamil.
  • Under the BhasaNet Portal, .Bharat is available in 22 Scheduled Languages.

Email address internationalization (EAI)

  • It is the process of allowing email addresses to use non-ASCII characters, such as those used in languages like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati or Tamil etc. in addition to traditional ASCII characters used in English-based email addresses.
  • EAI uses Unicode encoding standard to represent non-ASCII characters in email addresses.
  • Requires changes to the way that email is handled by both email clients and email servers to email clients to display non-ASCII characters in the user interface and email servers to be able to process non-ASCII addresses correctly.
  • Technical standards to support EAI:

(i) SMTPUTF8: Allows email addresses with non-ASCII characters to be sent using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

(ii) IDNA2008: Allows domain names with non-ASCII characters to be translated into ASCII-based Domain Name System (DNS) used by the internet.

Universal Acceptance

  • The basic idea behind Universal Acceptance is all domain names and all email addresses work in all software applications. It is a necessity for a truly inclusive internet to allow non-English speakers to access internet.
  • Universal Acceptance is a foundational requirement for a truly multilingual internet in which all internet users across the world can navigate entirely in local languages.
  • Essential for continued expansion of the internet and provides a gateway to the next billion internet users.
  • Enables the private sector, government and societies to better serve their communities through the use of an increasing number of new domains, including non-Latin based,

Universal Acceptance Day

  • Universal Acceptance Day is an awareness event celebrating the importance of ensuring that all domain names and email addresses can be used by all internet users.
  • In 2023, India was host of the First Global UA Day as the flag bearer to promote and promulgate Universal Acceptance for digital inclusion.
  • Global Universal Acceptance Day is scheduled to take place on March 28, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Universal Acceptance Guidelines

  • Universal Acceptance Guidelines are a set of best practices and recommendations for supporting the use of all domains names and email addresses, regardless of their script, language or format.
  • The guidelines for Universal Acceptance have been developed by Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG), a community led initiative that works to promote Universal Acceptance of all domain names and email addresses.
  • Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) is a community led initiative that was formed in 2015 and funded by ICANN. It works to raise awareness of the importance of UA globally, provide free resources to organisations to help them become UA-ready and measure the progress of UA adoption.

NVIDIA’s Unveils Blackwell AI Chip

Context: NVIDIA has unveiled Blackwell AI Chip which are said to be the most powerful Artificial Intelligence enabled microchips in the world. 

What is GPU? Graphic Processing Unit

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A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialized circuit that accelerates image and video processing. GPUs have evolved into powerful parallel processors with applications beyond visual computing.

GPU Meaning and Usage: A GPU handles graphics and images in computers and phones, enhancing visuals in gaming and other applications.

Difference between CPU and GPU

  • Central Processing Unit (CPU): The brain of a computer system, consisting of the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) for calculations and the control unit (CU) for instruction sequencing and branching. It interacts with memory, input, and output components.
  • Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): A specialized processor for rendering images and graphics, particularly in computer games. GPUs are faster than CPUs and emphasize high throughput. They contain more ALU units than CPUs and share RAM with electronic equipment.
    • CPU focuses on low latency, while GPU focuses on high throughput.
    • CPU consumes more memory than GPU.
    • GPU is faster than CPU.
    • CPU has fewer, more powerful cores, while GPU has more, weaker cores.
    • CPU is suitable for serial instruction processing, while GPU is suitable for parallel instruction processing.

Technology behind GPUs

  • GPUs function by offloading parallelizable tasks from the CPU, leveraging data parallelism, APIs, shaders, and general-purpose computing capabilities.
  • Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs): SMs are the core processing units in GPUs, comprising multiple cores that operate concurrently to execute tasks in parallel.
  • Memory Hierarchy: GPUs have a dedicated memory hierarchy, including global memory, shared memory, and registers, to optimize data storage and access for enhanced performance.
  • Parallel Processing: GPUs excel in parallel processing, executing multiple operations simultaneously through the presence of multiple cores within SMs.

GPUs and Artificial Intelligence

GPUs have been called a rare-earth or even gold for Artificial Intelligence. This is due to the following reasons:

  • GPUs employ parallel processing.
  • GPU systems scale up to supercomputing heights.
  • The GPU software stack for AI is broad and deep.

GPUs perform technical calculations faster and with greater energy efficiency than CPUs.

Diverse Applications of GPUs

  • Gaming: GPUs provide realistic graphics and smooth animations for an immersive gaming experience.
  • Deep Learning and AI: GPUs accelerate matrix calculations essential for training and running deep neural networks.
  • Scientific Computing: GPUs expedite complex computations in simulations and calculations across various scientific domains.
  • Medical Imaging: GPU acceleration enables real-time rendering and analysis of medical imaging data.
  • Cryptocurrency Mining: GPUs efficiently handle the complex calculations required for validating cryptocurrency transactions.

GPU Applications Beyond Graphics

  • Data Science and Machine Learning: GPUs accelerate training and running complex machine learning models.
  • Cryptocurrency Mining: GPUs efficiently parallelize calculations for validating cryptocurrency transactions.
  • Computational Biology and Drug Discovery: GPUs accelerate simulations and analyses in biology and drug discovery.
  • Financial Modeling and Simulation: GPUs boost processing speed for complex financial models and simulations.
  • Autonomous Vehicles and Robotics: GPUs contribute to real-time object detection and decision-making in autonomous systems.

Challenges and Future Trends in GPU Technology

GPUs face challenges related to energy efficiency, ray tracing, quantum computing, and edge computing. Ongoing developments aim to address these challenges and shape the future of GPU technology.

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