New emerging technologies

Context: The recent railway accident in Darjeeling, West Bengal has highlighted the need for installation of the KAVACH system to prevent such tragedies.

What is KAVACH? 

• KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS) by the Research Design and Standards Organisation in collaboration with Indian industry.
• It is a state-of-the-art electronic system with Safety Integrity Level-4 standards with the probability of an error being one in 10,000 years. 

Features of KAVACH:

• It gives information to the locopilots on the permissible speeds to be maintained and prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional KAVACH systems. 
• It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions.
  • If a red signal is jumped (which marks danger) and two trains come face to face on the same line, the technology automatically takes over and applies sudden brakes.
  • Additionally, the hooter activates by itself when approaching a level crossing which serves as a big boon to loco-pilots during fog conditions when visibility is low.
• The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations. An added feature is the centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.

How does KAVACH work on Railway Systems?

• Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) helps in two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot to convey any emergency message, using GPS and RFID technology. 
  • GPS Integration:
    • KAVACH relies on GPS to continuously track the location and speed of trains. The onboard unit in each train receives GPS signals, which are used to determine the train's precise position, direction, and speed.
    • This real-time location data is then communicated to the central control system and other trackside equipment. 
  • RFID Implementation:
    • A set of electronic devices and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices are installed in locomotives, in the signalling system as well as the tracks. 
    • As the train passes over these RFID tags, the onboard RFID reader in the train detects the tag and communicates the information to the onboard unit.
    • They connect using ultra-high radio frequencies to control the brakes of trains and also alert drivers, all based on the logic programmed into them. 
    • Hence, it allows KAVACH to accurately identify the train's location and trigger the appropriate safety actions, such as automatic braking, if necessary.

Integrated Functionality:

• The combination of GPS and RFID technologies in KAVACH provides a comprehensive system for train tracking, collision avoidance, and overall railway safety. 
• The GPS data gives a broad, continuous overview of the train's position and movement, while the RFID tags offer precise location references at specific points along the track.

What is DigiLocker?

• DigiLocker is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) under the Digital India programme, launched in 2015.
• DigiLocker platform operates as an App to store users’ digital records. The app is aimed at letting users access, verify, and store essential documents in a digital wallet so that they are easy to retrieve and present to officials when required.
• The issued documents in DigiLocker system are deemed to be at par with original physical documents as per Rule 9A of the Information Technology (Preservation and Retention of Information by Intermediaries providing Digital Locker facilities) Rules, 2016. 
• Utility: The app can be used to prove users’ identity and their credentials. E.g., when applying for a passport, reviewing marksheets, or proving one’s identity during travel. 
• DigiLocker has been built on top of open-source digital platforms. 
  • Open-source digital platforms typically consist of software and tools that are freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
  • Core code behind DigiLocker is built using freely available open-source software. This allows anyone to examine the code, understand how it works, and even contribute improvements. This fosters collaboration and can lead to a more secure and reliable system.
• Users’ data: As of May 2024, the app has over 270 million registered users, while nearly 6.7 billion documents — like Aadhaar, insurance policy papers, PAN records, and driving licences — have been retrieved through it.

How secure is DigiLocker?

• DigiLocker is ideally maintained with standard security measures in place including 2048 Bit RSA SSL encryption, multi-factor authentication (OTP verification), consent systems, timed log outs, and security audits.
• No DigiLocker data is shared with third parties and data is encrypted in transit. Examples of data collected include files and documents (optional), your name, email (optional), and user IDs. 
• However, any government database that stores citizens’ information and documents is inevitably an attractive target for hackers who steal user data and sell it on the dark web.
• On June 2, 2020, DigiLocker posted a notice about a “potential vulnerability in the sign-up flow,” that could have led to accounts being compromised. However, due to a CERT-In alert and another independent researcher, DigiLocker said that the vulnerability was patched within a day of getting the alert, and that user data was safe. 

Benefits of DigiLocker: 

• Paperless solution to prove users’ identity and their credentials. 
• Allows users to access their e-documents irrespective of their physical location. 
• Prevents fake, poor quality print copies, and outdated documents that miss key details.
• Eliminates the need to carry separate sets of documents while travelling. 

Limitations of DigiLocker:

While DigiLocker offers a compelling alternative to physical documents, but it is not quite a complete replacement yet.

• Not universally accepted: While acceptance is growing, some organisations might still require physical documents. 
• Digital Literacy Gap: Not everyone has access to technology or the skills to use DigiLocker.
• Infrastructure Dependence: Reliance on internet connectivity can be a hurdle in some areas.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):

• MRI is an indispensable tool to look inside the human body without surgery. It is used to obtain images of soft tissues within the body. Soft tissue is any tissue that has not become harder through calcification.
• It is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure widely used to image the brain, the cardiovascular system, the spinal cord and joints, various muscles, the liver, arteries, etc.
• MRI scans do not pose any threats; once the magnetic fields are taken away, the atoms in the scanned part do not remain affected. There is no long-term harm associated with scans.

Applications: 

• Brain imaging: MRI can help identify abnormalities such as tumours and track neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s, dementia, epilepsy, and stroke etc. Functional MRI (fMRI) is a specialised technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, providing insights into brain function and mapping brain networks.
• Cardiovascular imaging: MRI can produce detailed images of the heart and blood vessels without using ionising radiation. It helps diagnose heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, cardiac tumours, and congenital heart defects.
• Spinal cord imaging: MRI is effective in visualising the spinal cord and various structures like joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
• Abdominal and pelvic imaging: MRI is used to examine abdominal and pelvic organs, including the liver, pancreas, kidneys, uterus, ovaries, and prostate. It can detect tumours, cysts, infections, and other abnormalities, and it is often employed when other imaging methods like ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) provide inconclusive results.
• Cancer detection: Its use is particularly important in the observation and treatment of certain cancers, including prostate and rectal cancer. 

How does MRI work?

• An MRI procedure reveals an image of a body part using the hydrogen atoms in that part. A hydrogen atom is simply one proton with one electron around it. These atoms are all spinning, with axes pointing in random directions. Hydrogen atoms are abundant in fat and water, which are present almost throughout the body.
• The MRI machine itself looks like a giant doughnut. The hole in the centre, called the bore, is where the person whose body is to be scanned is inserted. Inside the doughnut is a powerful superconducting magnet whose job is to produce a powerful and stable magnetic field around the body. Once the body part to be scanned is at the centre of the bore, the magnetic field is switched on.
• Each hydrogen atom has a powerful magnetic moment, which means in the presence of a magnetic field, the atom’s spin axis will point along the field’s direction. The superconducting magnet applies a magnetic field down the centre of the machine, such that the axes of roughly half of the hydrogen atoms in the part to be scanned are pointing one way and the other half are pointing the other way. This matching is almost exact: in around a million atoms, only a handful remain unmatched — that is, a small population of ‘excess’ atoms pointing one way or the other.
• The machine has a device that emits a radiofrequency pulse at the part under the scanner. When the pulse is ‘on’, only the small population of ‘excess’ atoms absorbs the radiation and gets excited. When the pulse goes ‘off’, these atoms emit the absorbed energy and return to their original, lower energy states. 
• Finally, a detector receives the emissions and converts them to signals, which are sent to a computer that uses them to recreate two- or three-dimensional images of that part of the body.

Limitations:

• Because of the MRI technique’s use of strong magnetic fields, individuals with embedded metallic objects (like shrapnel) and metallic implants, including pacemakers, may not be able to undergo MRI scans. 
• MRI machines are expensive: Depending on the specifications, including the strength of the magnetic fields and the imaging quality, they cost from a few tens of lakh rupees to a few crores. Diagnostic facilities pass this cost on to its patients. Based on the clinical requirements, scans often cost ₹10,000 or more each — a sizable sum in India.
• Discomfort: Inside the machine, the individual is expected to lie still for tens of minutes, until the scan is complete. If the individual moves, the resulting image will be distorted and the scan will have to be repeated. The problem is exacerbated if the individual is claustrophobic (although some ‘open-bore’ MRI machine designs can alleviate this issue).