Science & Technology

India needs a national programme on autism

Context: World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated on 2nd April Which highlights the fact that more than one crore Indians are affected with autism which requires the intervention of the government.

What is autism? 

Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life. Its formal diagnostic name is autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The word “spectrum” indicates that autism appears in different forms with varying levels of severity. That means that each individual with autism experiences their own unique strengths, symptoms, and challenges.

How autism spectrum disorders are described?

Psychiatrists and other clinicians rely on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to define autism and its symptoms. The DSM-5 definition recognizes two main symptom areas: 

  • Deficits in social communication and interaction Restricted, 
  • Repetitive behaviours, interests, or activities.

These symptoms appear early in a child’s development—although diagnosis may occur later. Autism is diagnosed when symptoms cause developmental challenges that are not better explained by other conditions. 

Autism symptoms and behaviours 

Individuals with autism may present a range of symptoms, such as: 

  • Reduced eye contact 
  • Differences in body language 
  • Lack of facial expressions 
  • Not engaging in imaginative play 
  • Repeating gestures or sounds 
  • Closely focused interests 
  • Indifference to temperature extremes 

These are just a few examples of the symptoms an individual with autism may experience. Any individual could have some, all, or none of these symptoms. 

Keep in mind that having these symptoms does not necessarily mean a person has autism. Only a qualified medical professional can diagnose autism spectrum disorder. 

Each person with autism has their own strengths, likes, dislikes, interests, challenges, and skills, just like you do. 

How autism is diagnosed? 

There is no known biological marker for autism. That means that no blood or genetic test can diagnose the disorder. Instead, clinicians rely on observation, medical histories, and questionnaires to determine whether an individual has autism. Physicians and specialists may use one or several of the following screening tools: 

  • Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT), a 20-question test designed for toddlers between 16 and 30 months old. 
  • The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a general developmental screening tool with sections targeting specific ages used to identify any developmental challenges a child may have. 
  • Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT), an interactive screening tool, comprising 12 activities that assess play, communication, and imitation. 
  • Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) is a general developmental parent interview form that identifies areas of concern by asking parents questions. 

In rare cases, individuals with autism reach adulthood before receiving a diagnosis. However, most individuals receive an autism diagnosis before the age of 8. 

Autism Prognosis 

Autism is a lifelong condition, and a wide variety of treatments can help support people with ASD. The symptoms and comorbidities—conditions occurring in the same individual—are treatable. 

  • Early intervention delivers the best results. Parents and caregivers should seek out the advice of a qualified medical professional before starting any autism treatment. 
  • Advances in understanding autism, its symptoms, and comorbidities have improved outcomes for individuals with autism. 

Co-occurring conditions 

When a person has more than two or more disorders, these conditions are known as comorbidities. Several comorbidities are common in people with autism. These include: 

  • Anxiety 
  • Depression 
  • Epilepsy 
  • Gastrointestinal and immune function disorders 
  • Metabolic disorders 
  • Sleep disorders 

Identifying co-occurring conditions can sometimes be a challenge because their symptoms may be mimicked or masked by autism symptoms. However, diagnosing and identifying these conditions can help avoid complications and improve the quality of life for individuals with autism. 

Why India needs a national programme on autism?

  • Cultural differences and diagnosis: The majority of children with an autism spectrum diagnosis within the United States and the United Kingdom are likely to be verbal, with average or higher than average IQ, and attend mainstream schools. In contrast, a significant majority of children in India who get a clinical diagnosis of autism often also have an intellectual disability and limited verbal ability. 

Autism is assessed behaviourally, and behavioural assessment tools (i.e., questionnaires or interviews with professionals) are the starting point for all research and clinical work on autism. Yet, most of the widely used autism assessment tools have limited availability in Indian languages.

  • Poor supply of specialists in India: According to the latest estimates, India has less than 10,000 psychiatrists, a majority of whom are concentrated in big cities. 

While the number of mental health professionals continues to grow, the current gap between demand and supply cannot be met directly by the specialists alone. 

This gap is not relevant for behavioural assessments alone but also for providing psychological interventions. Parallel efforts to widen the reach of diagnostic and intervention services by involving non-specialists (e.g., Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)/Anganwadi workers, parents/caregivers) and the appropriate digital technology (e.g., apps, smartphones) that can capture both self/caregiver report as well as observational data.

What should be the components of the all-India programme on autism?

A national programme on autism should aim at:

  • linking researchers, clinicians, and service providers to the end-users in the autism community in India. 
  • Assessment, 
  • Intervention, and 
  • Awareness. 
  • Promoting R&D in the Autism
  • Expansion of clinical and support service workforce by training non-specialists such that a stepped-care model can be rolled out effectively across the nation. 
  • Consultation with different stakeholders

Lynx U2 fire control systems

Context: Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for the procurement of 13 Lynx-U2 fire control systems for the Navy at a cost of over Rs 1,700 crore, under the Buy Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category.

Lynx-U2 fire control system:

  • The Lynx-U2 system is a naval gun fire control system capable of accurately tracking and engaging targets amid sea as well as air or surface targets.
  • The fourth generation, completely indigenous systems, will be installed on New Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels to be built indigenously at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and Goa Shipyard Limited. 

Next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessels

Context: Ministry of Defence has signed a deal to buy eleven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels and six Next Generation Missile Vessels at Rs 19,600 crore. 

Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV):

  • The contract for 11 NGOPVs worth Rs 9,781 crore was signed between Goa Shipyard Limited and Garden Reach Shipyard Limited under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. 
  • NGOPVs will increase the Navy’s various operational capabilities such as Anti-Piracy, Counter-Infiltration, Anti-Poaching, Anti-Trafficking, Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations, Search and Rescue (SAR), Protection of Offshore Assets etc.
    • An offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is a small surface ship designed for coastal defence.
    • They can carry a crew of up to 80-90 sailors, but are much more lightly armed — and therefore much cheaper — than capital warships like corvettes, frigates, or destroyers.
    • For performing tasks that do not require heavy fighting, OPVs offer a far more economical option than using heavily armed capital warships.
    • These warships are well equipped to tackle a range of roles such as maritime security, border control, anti-smuggling, counter-terrorism, disaster relief etc.

Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV):

  • The contract for constructing six Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs) was signed with Cochin Shipyard (CSL) at Rs 9,805 crore.
  • NGMVs would be heavily armed war vessels incorporating stealth, high speed and offensive capability.
  • The primary role of the ships would be to provide offensive capability against enemy warships, merchantmen and land targets.
    • These warships will be capable of conducting maritime strike operations, Anti-Surface Warfare Operations and would be a potent instrument of sea denial for enemy ships, especially at choke points. 
    • In the defensive role, these ships would be employed for Local Naval Defence operations and seaward defence of the Offshore Development Area. 

Next-generation mobile maritime coastal batteries and BrahMos missile

Context: Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for the procurement of Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (Long Range) and BrahMos missiles, valued at over Rs 1,700 crore, under Buy (Indian) category. 

Aim: To enhance the Indian Navy's maritime strike capabilities along the coast. 

Next-Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (Long Range)

  • Next-Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries come equipped with new missiles like the BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missiles. 
  • This system will allow the Indian Navy to target enemy platforms operating close to the Indian coast. 

Supersonic BrahMos missiles

  • BrahMos is the fastest cruise missile in the world with a top speed of Mach 2.8 or almost three times the speed of sound.
  • It is a two-stage missile (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in the second stage) with a range of 290 km.
  • The multiplatform missile can be launched from land, air, and sea with pinpoint accuracy during day and night irrespective of weather conditions.

Special features of BrahMos

  • Universal for multiple platforms
  • Stealth technology and guidance system
  • “Fire and Forget” principle of operation
  • Pinpoint accuracy with high lethal power 
  • Quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapon system
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Significance

  • Enhance the multi-directional maritime strike capability of the Indian Navy. 
  • Boost indigenous production of the critical weapon system and ammunition with the active participation of indigenous industries.
  • Generate employment of more than 90,000 man-days over a period of four years.

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd (BAPL)

  • BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd is a joint venture between India and Russia that produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
  • BrahMos was established through an inter-governmental agreement in 1998 as a joint venture between India's state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
  • Although BrahMos missiles still depend on Russian parts and raw materials, the percentage of local input had gone up to over 70% from around 15% at the start of the venture.

Swathi Weapon locating radar

Context: Ministry of Defence signed a contract for the Weapon locating radar Swathi (Plains) with Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL) at a cost of over Rs 990 crore. 

WLR Swathi:

  • Swathi weapon-locating radars provide fast, automatic, and accurate location of enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets within a 50-kilometre range.
  • The radars can simultaneously detect multiple projectiles fired from different weapons at different locations.
  • Indigenously developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation 
  • Induction is planned to be completed in 24 months. 

COVID variant XBB.1.16

Context: As per the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest data for February 27 to March 26, 2023, the South-East Asia Region has reported over 27,000 new COVID-19 cases, a 152% increase as compared to the previous 28-day period. 

  • The reason for the spike in cases is the XBB.1.16, the new Omicron variant. 
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XBB.1.16 variant:

  • XBB.1.16 is the new sub-variant of Omicron which is a highly transmissible variant with a high infectivity rate. It can elude hybrid immunity and immunity gained by vaccination. 
    • It is a recombination of two omicron variants.
    • Omicron and its variants are usually more easily transmitted and has has more chances to escape immunity.
  • The sub-variant rapidly transmits and has additional mutations in its nucleotide and amino acids which have been associated with decreased antibody neutralisation, increased transmissibility, and pathogenicity. 
  • Symptoms: High-grade fever for more than 48 hours, cough, sore throat, body pain, severe headache, cold and abdominal discomfort. 

At-risk population: Patients with co-morbidities such as elderly population, or with cardiac conditions, previous pulmonary issues such as asthma, tuberculosis, diabetic and chronic kidney disease patients.

ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released images of Earth captured by the EOS-06 satellite. The space agency said that the images are a mosaic generated by the ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). ”NRSC/ISRO has generated a global False Colour Composite (FCC) mosaic from the images captured by the Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) payload on board EOS-06.

About ISRO

  • The main space agency of the nation is the Indian Space Research Organisation, which has its headquarters in Bangalore.
  • The Chairman of ISRO also acts as the administrator of the Department of Space (DOS), which is overseen by the Prime Minister of India directly.
  • India's primary agency for tasks relating to space-based applications, space exploration, and related technology development is ISRO.
  • Just six government space agencies worldwide have comprehensive launch capabilities, cryogenic engines, the ability to launch interplanetary missions, and the capacity to manage vast networks of artificial spacecraft.

Earth Observation Satellites

  • The spacecraft with remote sensing capabilities are earth observation satellites. Information on the planet's physical, chemical, and biological processes is gathered via earth observation.
  • The use of several earth observation satellites in sun-synchronous orbit is common.
  • They are made to observe the planet from orbit for both military and non-military purposes, such as meteorology and mapping.

EOS-06 Satellite

  • The Oceansat EOS-06 third-generation satellite and eight Nano-satellites were launched by ISRO on November 26 on the PSLV-C54.
  • With a larger payload capacity and four payloads—OCM, Sea Surface Temperature Monitor, Ku-Band Scatterometer, and ARGOS—EOS-06 continues Oceansat-2's activities.
  • For use in oceanography, climatology, and meteorology, the EOS-06 is intended to gather data on ocean colour, sea surface temperature, and wind vector.
  • In addition, the satellite offers value-added services like potential fishing areas based on data from land-based geophysical systems, SST, wind speed, and chlorophyll.
  • With the OCM's ability to detect the Earth in 13 distinct wavelengths, the images provide information on the global plant cover on land and ocean biota.
  • A kind of nanosatellite known as Oceansat-3 was launched by ISRO as part of a larger collection of spacecraft used for oceanographic and atmospheric research.

Ocean Color Monitor

  • The sophisticated 13-channel OCM, which has a 1400 km swath and a spatial resolution of 360 m, will continuously monitor the dayside of the globe and provide vital information on the distribution of ocean algae, the building blocks of the marine ecosystem's food chain.
  • With a high signal-to-noise ratio, the OCM-3 is expected to improve accuracy in daily phytoplankton monitoring, which will be useful for a variety of operational and research purposes, such as managing fisheries resources, absorbing ocean carbon, warning of dangerous algal blooms, and analysing climate change.

Space design lab for startups opens in Ahmedabad

Context: India has unveiled a state-of-the-art design facility in Ahmedabad to help startups in the space industry convert their innovative concepts into workable models. V. Somanath, the chairman of ISRO, inaugurated the Space Systems Design Lab of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) at Bopal near Ahmedabad. 

More about the news: 

  • The IN-SPACe design lab is equipped with cutting-edge analysis and simulation software for IN-SPACe, which models, visualises, and optimises payload and spacecraft, ground station, and launch vehicle avionics. 
  • Lab resources will assist in creating prototypes with the fewest iterations possible, drastically lowering turnaround time and R&D expenses for start-ups. 
  • The lab is equipped with 16 workstations and high-performance multi-core (400 core) servers for computation.

IN-SPACe for a New India Space Sector

  • In June 2020, the Indian government announced significant space reforms aimed at boosting the private sector space industry, including start-ups. 
  • Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), an independent nodal organisation under the Department of Space (formally launched in June, 2022), is the focal point of the country's space reforms.
  • Purpose:
    • Encourage, enable, authorise and supervise private firms and start-ups to engage in space operations. 
    • Tap into the vast untapped potential of the nation's technical know-how and human resources. 
    • Provide private and non-governmental organisations the ability to conduct their own autonomous space operations.

VISION:

To promote the space economy in the nation, and empower non-governmental entities (NGEs) to participate in space operations for a resurgent AatmaNirbhar Bharat.

Organisational Structure of In-SPACe

  • Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
  • IN-SPACe is operating with three directorates and a joint secretary

Functions

  • The organization serves as the link between NGEs and ISRO and offers suggestions for improving the utilisation of India's space assets and boosting space-based activities.
  • To enable interested parties to carry out their space-related operations through IN-SPACe, and make use of already-existing ISRO infrastructure on both the ground and in space as well as data and scientific and technological resources.
  • In collaboration with ISRO, the organisation will assess the expectations of private sector businesses, particularly educational institutions, and determine how to better meet those wants.
  • The decisions of the organisation would be binding on- ISRO and private sector organisations. The organisation will concentrate on research and development, which was the core function of ISRO.

The piezoelectric effect in liquids

Context: A pair of chemists at Michigan State University has observed the piezoelectric effect in liquids for the first time. In their paper published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Md. Iqbal Hossain and G. J. Blanchard, describe accidently observing the property while studying ionic liquids.

More on news: The researchers were studying properties of ionic liquids, which are made from salts with unsymmetrical, flexible organic cations and symmetrical weakly coordinating anions. Electricity builds up within them and is released when they are pressed or squeezed.

The liquid piezoelectric material was discovered as the researchers applied pressure with a piston to a sample of an ionic liquid in a cylinder. To their surprise, they found that this led to the release of electricity. They also found that the amount of electricity released was proportional to the amount of pressure applied.

Further testing showed that the optical properties of the ionic liquids changed when they released electricity. In some instances, the researchers found changes in how the liquid bent light.

Piezoelectric effect 

The Piezoelectric effect is the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress.

How it works

  • The Piezoelectric effect arises due to the unique crystal structure of certain materials, such as quartz, tourmaline, and Rochelle salt.
  • These materials have a crystal lattice structure that is asymmetric, meaning that their positive and negative charges are not evenly distributed throughout the crystal.
  • When an external force is applied to these materials, it causes a shift in the positions of the positive and negative charges, resulting in an electric polarization.
  • The magnitude and direction of the electric charge generated by the Piezoelectric effect depend on the type and orientation of the crystal, as well as the magnitude and direction of the applied force.

Applications of Piezoelectric effect

The Piezoelectric effect is used in a variety of applications, including:

  • Medical ultrasound: Piezoelectric crystals are used to generate and receive high-frequency sound waves, which are used to image internal organs and tissues.
  • Sensors: Piezoelectric materials can be used as sensors to measure pressure, force, acceleration, and other physical quantities. For example, piezoelectric sensors are commonly used in industrial automation and automotive applications to measure vibrations and monitor machine health.
  • Actuators: Piezoelectric materials are used to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, such as in inkjet printers and fuel injectors. For example, piezoelectric actuators are used in inkjet printers to control the flow of ink and in camera lenses to adjust the focus.
  • Energy Harvesting: Piezoelectric materials can be used to convert mechanical vibrations or movements into electrical energy. This can be useful for powering small electronic devices, such as sensors or wireless transmitters, in remote or inaccessible locations.
  • Medical Devices: Piezoelectric materials are used in various medical devices, such as ultrasound machines and pacemakers. In ultrasound machines, piezoelectric crystals generate high-frequency sound waves that are used to visualize internal organs and tissues. In pacemakers, piezoelectric crystals are used to generate electrical pulses that regulate the heartbeat.
  • Acoustic Devices: Piezoelectric materials can be used in acoustic devices, such as microphones and speakers. In microphones, piezoelectric crystals are used to convert sound waves into electrical signals, while in speakers, they are used to convert electrical signals into sound waves.
  • Structural Health Monitoring: Piezoelectric sensors can be used for structural health monitoring of bridges, buildings, and other infrastructure. By measuring the mechanical strain or stress on the structure, piezoelectric sensors can detect cracks, deformations, or other signs of damage or wear.

Reversibility

  • The Piezoelectric effect is reversible, meaning that if an electric field is applied to the crystal, it will deform and produce a mechanical strain.
  • In conclusion, the Piezoelectric effect is a unique and important phenomenon that has found numerous applications in modern technology. Its ability to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress makes it a valuable tool in fields such as medicine, engineering, and materials science.

Improved Akash Weapon System

Context: Ministry of Defence signed a contract for procurement of an improved Akash Weapon System (AWS) with Bharat Dynamics Limited for over Rs 8,160 crore for the third and fourth regiments of Army Air Defence, comprising live missiles and launchers with upgrades, ground support equipment, vehicles and infrastructure. 

Akash Weapon System

  • The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation.
  • Improved AWS has Seeker technology, reduced footprint, 360° engagement capability and improved environmental parameters.

Relevance of AWS

  • Increase India's self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability.
  • Boost the overall economy by avoiding the outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries.
  • Increasing employment avenues in India. 
  • Boost the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem (Indian MSMEs) as a whole.

GPT-4 : a shift from ‘what it can do’ to ‘what it augurs

Context:  A U.S. company, OpenAI, has once again sent shock waves around the world, this time with GPT-4, its latest AI model. This large language model can understand and produce language that is creative and meaningful, and will power an advanced version of the company’s sensational chatbot, ChatGPT.

GPT-4 and what it can do

GPT-4 is a remarkable improvement over its predecessor, GPT-3.5, which first powered ChatGPT. 

  • Take large prompts: While GPT-3.5 could not deal with large prompts well, GPT-4 can take into context up to 25,000 words, an improvement of more than 8x.
  • More creative: Its biggest innovation is that it can accept text and image input simultaneously, and consider both while drafting a reply. For example, if given an image of ingredients and asked the question, “What can we make from these?”GPT-4 gives a list of dish suggestions and recipes. 
  • Performs well in tests designed for humans:  For instance, in a simulated bar examination, it had the 90th percentile, whereas its predecessor scored in the bottom 10%. GPT-4 also sailed through advanced courses in environmental science, statistics, art history, biology, and economics.
    • However, GPT-4 failed to do well in advanced English language and literature, scoring 40% in both. Nevertheless, its performance in language comprehension surpasses other high-performing language models, in English and 25 other languages, including Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu and Telugu. 
  • Understand human emotions: The model can purportedly understand human emotions, such as humorous pictures. 
  • White collar jobs: OpenAI has released preliminary data to show that GPT-4 can do a lot of white-collar work, especially programming and writing jobs. 

If we define intelligence as “a very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience”, GPT-4 already succeeds at four out of these seven criteria. It is yet to master planning and learning.

Ethical questions

  • Threat to the examination systems: ChatGPT-generated text infiltrated school essays and college assignments almost instantly after its release; its prowess now threatens examination systems as well.
  • Integrity of data is not ensured: Its output may not always be factually correct — a trait OpenAI has called “hallucination”. While much better at cognising facts than GPT-3.5, it may still introduce fictitious information subtly. 
  • Lack of transparency: OpenAI has not been transparent about the inner workings of GPT-4. OpenAI gives competitive landscape and the safety implications as reasons for this. While secrecy for safety sounds a plausible reason, OpenAI is able to subvert critical scrutiny of its model, which is important to instill confidence in AI generated information. 
  • Biases and stereotypes: GPT-4 has been trained on data scraped from the Internet that contains several harmful biases and stereotypes. There is also an assumption that a large dataset is also a diverse dataset and faithfully representative of the world at large. However, this is not the case for the Internet. On internet, huge dataset can be biased and incorrect.  
  • OpenAI’s policy to fix these biases thus far has been to create another model to moderate the responses, since it finds curating the training set to be infeasible. Potential holes in this approach include the possibility that the moderator model is trained to detect only the biases we are aware of, and mostly in the English language. This model may be ignorant of stereotypes prevalent in non-western cultures, such as those rooted in caste.
  • Possible propaganda and disinformation engine: Just asking GPT-4 to pretend to be “AntiGPT” causes it to ignore its moderation rules, as shown by its makers, thus jailbreaking it. As such, there is vast potential for GPT-4 to be misused as a propaganda and disinformation engine.

Way forward

  • Responsible AI Development: Developers and researchers need to prioritize responsible AI development by considering the potential social and ethical implications of their work. This includes incorporating diverse perspectives in the development process, conducting rigorous testing, and addressing potential biases in the training data.
  • Transparency and Explainability: It is important for AI models to be transparent and explainable to users and stakeholders. This means providing clear documentation and explanations of how the model works and making it easier to interpret the outputs of the model. This can help build trust in the technology and enable users to understand and address any negative impacts.
  • Model Auditing: It is important to regularly audit AI models to identify and address potential biases and negative impacts. 
  • Data Governance: To mitigate the negative impact of generative AIs, we need better data governance practices. This means establishing clear guidelines for how data is collected, stored, and used, and ensuring that data is representative and unbiased.
  • Ethical Guidelines: guidelines for data privacy and security, transparency and explainability, and fairness and accountability.
  • Liability Frameworks: Liability frameworks can help ensure that those responsible for developing and deploying generative AIs are held accountable for any negative impacts they cause. This includes establishing clear liability standards and implementing mechanisms for compensating those who are harmed by generative AIs.
  • Proactive policy making: OpenAI has released preliminary data to show that GPT-4 can do a lot of white-collar work, especially programming and writing jobs, while leaving manufacturing or scientific jobs relatively untouched. Wider use of language models will have further effects on economies. This requires proactive and futuristic policy making. 
  • Interdisciplinary Research: Addressing the negative impact of generative AIs requires interdisciplinary research that brings together experts in fields such as computer science, ethics, law, and sociology. This can help identify and address potential negative impacts from a variety of perspectives and ensure that solutions are holistic and effective.
  • Education and Awareness: It is important to educate the public and raise awareness about the potential negative impacts of AI technologies. This can empower individuals and communities to make informed decisions about its use.
  • User Feedback and Control: Users should be able to provide feedback on the output of generative AIs and have control over how their data is used. 

Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) For Debris Management

Context: The world is witnessing rapid increase in creative business models and new technologies leading to launch of thousands of satellites in Low-Earth Orbit. There is growing risk that Earth’s capacity to accommodate such a large set of new objects safely may be in jeopardy. In this context, Space Sustainability Rating is an initiative that seeks to foster voluntary action by satellite operators to reduce the risk of space debris, on-orbit collisions and unsustainable space operations.

About Space Sustainability Rating

  • Space Sustainability Rating is tool developed for a more sustainable use of space by encouraging space actors to design & implement sustainable space missions and operations.
  • It seeks foster voluntary and bold action by satellite operators to reduce risk of space debris, on-orbit collisions and unsustainable space operations.
  • Members: It has been developed by World Economic Forum (WEF), European Space Agency (ESA), Space Enabled research group at MIT, University of Texas at Austin & BryceTech. It is based at eSpace at Ecole Polytechnique Lausanne in Switzerland.  
  • Rating methodology: 
    • It is a tiered scoring system that takes a series of metrics based on models to quantify and measure sustainability decision taken by operators. 
    • Credits (Points) are awarded for actions leading to positive impact on space environment, actions that result in more sustainable impact receive more points. 
    • It is formulated as a combined score based on evaluation of individual modules, where different aspects of space sustainability are covered. 
    • To rate a mission, the operator in charge of it voluntarily reaches out to the SSR to start the process. The SSR team collects relevant information regarding different aspects of the mission's sustainability efforts and then sends these data to their computation partners. Afterwards, the non-profit gathers it all and computes the rating.
  • Tier Score: A rated entity receives a ‘Tier Score’ that will determine the rating between Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. Each of the SSR tiers are achieved after earning a certain combined score between 0 (low) and 1 (high), based on combined evaluation of individual modules. 
  • Bonus ‘Step’ Indicator: Enables the possibility to earn additional credit towards a bonus ‘step’ indicator, which highlights certain steps a mission can take to ‘go over and beyond’ the baseline rating towards space sustainability. Bonuses are reported separately and do not contribute to baseline rating of a requesting identity. 

Indicators used in Space Sustainability Rating

  • Mission Index: This module is directly derived from European Space Agency’s (ESA) debris index and quantifies the level of harmful physical interference caused by planned design and mission operation. It measures the impact of a space mission on space environment, using the Environmental Consequences of Orbital Breakups (ECOB) based on mission characteristics, collision avoidance strategy and disposal strategy. 
  • Detectability, Identification & Trackability: Aims to encourage satellite operators to consider how physical attributes of their satellite design and their operational approach during launch, operations and disposal affect the level of difficulty. Small objects which might be operational but cannot be reliably included in space surveillance and tracking products form a risk to other objects in the space. Also, identification is required for registration and liability purposes. 
  • Collision Avoidance Capabilities: These are essential capabilities satellite operators should have to improve their ability to identify, respond to and mitigate collisions. This module aims to emphasise the steps which can be taken by operators to reduce the risk of accidental collision with debris and among active operators. 
  • Data Sharing: Measures the information that satellite and launch vehicle operators should share with peers and stakeholders and contribution of such information sharing to spaceflight safety. Sharing of space situational awareness and other information by operators is critical to space safety.
  • Design & operation standards: Adoption of internationally endorsed standards in space domain is essential for ensuring compatibility in understanding between operators among themselves and between an operator and space environment, which is being used. Successfully addressing the problem of space sustainability when it comes to avoiding the creation of space debris and operating in congested environments can only be achieved by means of common understanding and objectives.
  • External services: Includes a wide range of activities and identifies classes of action that satellite operators can take to make their mission more amenable to receive External Services (ES) or to increase the probability of successful external services such as fixing, improving and reviving satellites and refers to any work to refuel, repair, replace or augment a satellite in space. 

About Space Debris

  • According to estimates, there are around 20,000 objects which are drifting through low-earth orbits. 
  • Kessler Syndrome: It is a phenomenon in which the amount of junk in orbit around Earth reaches a point where it creates more and more space debris. 
  • Conjunctions: Due to rapid increase in number of low-earth objects, close encounters between these objects known as ‘conjunctions’ are at an all-time high, meaning satellites and other spacecraft or debris fragments are increasingly at risk of colliding with each other. 
  • Anti-satellite weapons and space warfare are expected to increase space debris by multiple times. For ex. India’s Anti-Satellite Weapon. 

Initiatives for Space Debris Sustainability

  • Zero Debris Approach: ESA aims to totally stop the generation of debris in valuable orbits by 2030. ESA has also launched Clean Space Initiative for testing various technologies for debris management.
  • Grapple Fixtures: They are used on spacecraft or other objects to provide a secure connection for a robotic arm. 
  • Graveyard Orbits: A graveyard orbit, also called a junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit that lies away from common operational orbits. Satellites are moved into such orbits at the end of their operational life to reduce the probability of colliding with operational spacecraft and generating debris. 
  • Space Net: Japan’s JAXA launched a test space net satellite to collect space junk. 
  • E.Deorbit: A planned active space debris removal mission being developed by Europe’s European Space Agency as part of Clean Space Initiative. It aims to take down a derelict satellite. 
  • ClearSpace-1 will be the first space mission to remove an item of debris from orbit, planned for launch in 2025.
  • Remove Debris Mission: Aims to test the efficacy of several ADR technologies on mock targets in low earth orbit. The platform is equipped with a net, a harpoon, a laser ranging instrument, a dragsail and two CubeSats. 
  • International Guidelines for Space Debris Management: Currently, there is no international treat minimising space debris. However, UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has published voluntary guidelines in 2007 for space debris management.  

Suggestions for space debris

  • Design rockets and spacecraft to minimise the amount of ‘shedding’ – material becoming detached during launch and operation, due to the harsh conditions of space.
  • Prevent explosions by releasing stored energy, ‘passivating’ spacecraft once at the end of their lives.
  • Move defunct missions out the way of working satellites – either by de-orbiting them or moving them to a ‘graveyard orbit’.
  • Prevent in-space crashes through careful choice of orbits and by performing ‘collision avoidance manoeuvres’.