1. Prologue 2. ISROs MAR Orbiter Mission (MoM)/Mangalyaan 1. Timeline 2. Launch Vehicle 3. Payloads 4. Do we need Mars Mission? 5. Anti-Arguments 6. Pro-arguments 3. MAVEN (NASA) 4. INSAT 3D 5. RH 200 & Thumba 6. GSAT-7 7. GSAT-14 8. Chandra X-ray Observatory 9. Olympic torch in Space 10. Defense related 1. #1: INS Vikarmaditya 2. #2: Napalm 3. #3: EMP Bomb 11. Physics/Chemistry 1. #1: Tree Leaves to detect gold 2. #2: Candle flame vs Gravity 12. Mock Questions ISROs MAR Orbiter Mission (MoM)/Mangalyaan Timeline
Launch Vehicle PSLV GSLV Polar satellite launch vehicle Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle Can carry upto 1600 kg satellite 2500kg MoM/Mangalyaan= first Indian spacecraft to cross Earths escape velocity of 11.2 km per second. Mangalyaan will travel for almost 300 days, covering 680 million kilometres, and reach Martian orbit in September 2014. ISRO used PSLV XL (C25) launch vehicle to launch the Mangalyaan (Mars spacecraft). Why? 1. GSLV tests are not yet successful. Last time they tried GSLV to launch GSAT-14 satellite and failed because of fuel leak. (Aug 2013) 2. Mangalyaan weighs ~1300 kg. PSLV can easily carry this weight. 3. PSLV is tried and tested technology. Payloads ISROs Mangalyaan wants to gather data about Mars SAM (Surface Atmosphere Minerals) using five payloads/instruments: Study Mars S-E-A Payload detail I. Surface 1. Color Camera Mars Color camera. Study surface, dust storms etc. also taking photos of Mars satellites: Phobos and Deimos. 2. Spectrometer Thermal Infrared Imaging spectromet er (TIS). To study mineral resources of Mars and to help UPSC update its Mains GS1 syllabus: Distribution of key natural resources across the Earth AND Mars. II. (Particle)Environment 3. MENCAGandhi Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer.To study neutral gas atoms in the Martian atmosphere. III. Atmosphere 4. Methane Sensor Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM).If methane + water detected=possible that at some point of time, Mars had supported life form. 5. Photometer Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP). Measure hydrogen and deuterium.Deuterium = heavier than hydrogen. Water made from heavy hydrogen is heavier and hence it evaporates differently. Knowing Hydrogen : Deuterium ratio will help answer how did water vanish from Mars? The combined weight of these five instruments =just ~25 kg. ISTRAC ISRO Telemetry, Tracking & Command Network @Banglore. Previously tracked and commanded Chandrayaan-1 Now doing the same for Mars orbiter. Do we need Mars Mission? (for Group Discussion GD/Interview) Anti-Arguments 1. Crores of rupee wasted- could be used to feed millions of hungry people in India. Millions of children suffering from malnutrition, half the junta doesnt have toilets. Better get those thousands of ISRO scientists and engineers to comeup with new technology to fix malnutrition and malnutrition. 2. ISROs budget is better spent to meet Indias communication needs and bring down digital divide. 3. Even Airtel has sued ISRO for not meeting its contract obligations. So, ISRO better focus on present rather than doing some mars research whose benefits can materialize may be after 100-200 years. 4. ISRO has installed a fancy methane detector in this spacecraft. But NASAs curiosity rover data has already concluded that Mars environment doesnt contain methane. ISRO is only doing gaddha majoori (donkey labour). Counter argument: NASAs Curiosity rover measured presence of methane in a small area. But ISRO will scan entire Martian environment to detect Methane. 5. GSLV testing has not giving positive result yet. Had they waited for GSLV testing to finish- Mars Mission could be done in 2016. (Even Chandrayan-2 project is stalled due to this GSLV problem). But it seems ISRO chairman wants media publicity before retiring, so made he all the haste to launch Mars Mission in 2013 using PSLV (instead of GSLV). 6. Less of a scientific pursuit and more of a space race with China- me too going on Mars. First India should overtake China in terms of GDP and poverty removal. 7. Britain, Japan, World Bank etc. reduce the donation to India thinking since India has lot of money of run such Mars adventures, they must have money to take care of their poors as well. (to drag the argument further non-seriously) 8. This is just publicity stunt to divert attention from real issues. Earlier Chandryaan found traces of water on Moon, then Aaj-tak etc. Hindi channels ran 24/7 reports for weeks= in the meantime government can go scot free with bigger scams. 9. And most importantly, the youngsters have to mugup one more stupid topic for the competitive exams. The financial cost of combined man-hours wasted in studying such topics= alone worth 13% of GDP. Pro-arguments #1: cash will be recovered At the core of Anti arguments= Ca$H that ISRO has wasted in this Mars project. But in reality its an investment that will be recovered within a few decades, How? 1. Many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are seeing good economic growth. But they lack skilled manpower, technology and budget to setup their own launch vehicles and premier space agencies. 2. But they too need satellites for communication and military. So, they outsource the satellite launch/survey work to established players. 3. ISROs commercial Arm ANTRIX makes annual profit of ~100 crore rupees from such outsourced contracts. 4. ISRO spent only 450 crore rupees. NASA has spent billions of dollars on Mars. This Makes ISRO world-famous as a prudent cost saving space agency= more clients via its commercial arm ANTRIX = more money incoming. So, we can see this Mars mission as ISROs 450 crore rupees advertisement / PR campaign- to impress those potential clients and get more contracts=> money will be recovered and profit will be made. #2: Soft Power As ISRO establishes reputation, gets more contracts from third world- it can be used as a tool to exercise soft power. How? give Take personnel /technology exchange programs with developing countries giving discounts on their space projects/infrastructure their support for Indias claim to Permanent seat in UNSC their votes in our favour whenever Kashmir/Arunachal issues popup in UN General Assembly Oil-gas exploration contracts in their territory and so on. In short, there is more to international relations than what meets the eyes. 450 crore is a very petty amount to accomplish many diplomatic victories- [compared to the thousands of crore rupees weve given to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan via soft loans so they dont shelter terrorists and secessionists on their soil.] #3: Did not steal from poors month 1. Government spends barely ~0.35% of budget on space programs. And even out of that ~0.35% allocation, ISRO spent only 8% on Mars Missions. There are plenty of government schemes with way bigger budgetary allotments for poor people. So its not like government stopped/reduced expenditure on some xyz scheme for poors to fund ISROs Mars adventure. 2. Agreed, poverty should be removed, and everyone must get food security. But the proposed food security bill will need ~1-2 lakh crores rupees every year. Even If ISRO didnt spend 450 crores on Mars, the money thus saved- wont make a big contribution to food security anyways. #4: Making History So far only three agencies have succeeded in Mars Mission 1. European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium, 2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US 3. Roscosmos of Russia Even USA, Japan and China failed to reach mars in their first attempt. So, if ISROs Mars mission succeeds in first attempt (that too without coaching), itd be a milestone in the history of space explorations. #5: Misc. 1. Will attract talented desi scientist/engineers to join ISRO=braindrain prevented. 2. Data gathered from ISROs mission, can be used to send manned mission (astronauts) on Mars later, with collaboration of NASA etc. 3. The technology used in this mission has potential application in weather forecast, computer tech, health-medicine etc. in future. 4. Space research is not waste of time. 1990 Odisha cyclone killed >10000 people. But 2013 cyclone Phalin killed very few, because Indian satellite gave accurate weather prediction about where and when the storm would hit. Space research has given immense benefits to Agriculture, education, fisheries and defense. (Counter argument: then send more weather/education satellites- not spacecrafts to Moon and Mars!) MAVEN (NASA) ISROs MoM NASAs Maven Mars Orbitor Mission Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) launch vehicle=PSLV Atlas V rockets. (more powerful than PSLV) launched on 5 th Nov 2013 18 th Nov 2013 from Sriharikota, Andhra from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. Rs.450 crore $671 million ~1,350 kg ?? will enter Mars Orbit ~Sept. 24, 2014 will enter Mars Orbit ~Sept. 22, 2014 Doing three studies: 1. Surface/geology: using camera and spectrometer. 2. (Particle) Environment: using MENCA 3. Atmosphere: using Photometer and Methane sensor Only study Martian (upper) atmosphere. based on that data: Itll give clues about martian climate, geologic, and geochemical conditions over time Will find the answer: Did Mars ever had suitable environment to support life? has five instruments/payloads has eight instrument- spectrograph, magnetometer, ion analyzer etc.
The spacecraft may also provide communications relay support for future Mars landers and rovers. INSAT 3D Weather satellite (meteorology), search and rescue operations. At present Indias meteorological observation is done by two satellites Kalpana-1 and INSAT 3A. This INSAT 3D is more powerful and advanced. it can detect signals from distressed fishing boats, aeroplanes etc. and help in search and rescue missions, with help of coast guard, navy etc. Launched in late August 2013. expiry date= after seven years in 2020 RH 200 & Thumba Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Kerala, under ISRO 1963: Vikarm Sarabhai and team had launched an American rocket Nike-Apachefrom here. 2013: completed 50 years. RH 200 rocket was launched. RH 200 is a Rohini series advanced sounding rocket. can carry 10 kg payload. to study the upper atmosphere. GSAT-7 Indias first full-fledged military communications satellite Navy will use it for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications. Launched from French Guiana in late August 2013. GSAT-14 this communication satellite was to be launched ~mid-August 2013, from Sriharikota, Andhra but #EPICFAIL because launch vehicle GSLV-D5 developed a leak= ISRO had to cancel. Curiosity NASAs Mars Rover Curiosity- gave two new findings 1. Martian meteoritesreally are from the Mars Planet. 2. Found two isotops of argon gas : Argon-36 and Argon-38by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on Curiosity. Chandra X-ray Observatory belongs to NASA allows scientists from around the world to obtain X-ray images- to understand universes structure and evolution It recently found a black hole @the center of milky way a producing high energy particles. High energy particles = produced by young stars and blackholes. They play important role regulating the rate of formation of new stars. Olympic torch in Space 2014s winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia during February. From Kazakhstan, rocket was launched to carry Olympic torch to the international space station. (ISS) Astronauts will carry out a spacewalk with this Olympic torch. That way we can brag Olympic torch has even been to space. This torch has also been through: 1. Worlds deepest lake: Baikal 2. Highest mountain in Russia and Europe: Mt.Elbrus Ashish Yadav from Haryana.Selected in NASAs three year astronaut training program . Defense related #1: INS Vikramaditya 1987 INS Virat- Aircraft carrier inducted. 1994 India starts negotiating with Russia to get their aircraft carrier called Admiral Gorshkov (to be added as INS Vikramaditya) 2004 formal deal signed 2013, INS Vikrant: Indias first ever indigenously built aircraft carrier launched @Kochi. 2013, Nov Finally Russia handed over the ship to Indian Navy, after almost 9 years wait. Total cost: >12000 cr. rupees. Ok but why is it so special? INS Virat is soon to retire. Vikrants testing is still ongoing. So, We needed a new aircraft carrier. vikramaditya will makes us only the third country in the world after the US and Italy to own more than air craft one carrier. (Vikrama+Vikrant) Even China has only one aircraft carrier: Liaoning INS Vikramaditya can carry o 30 aircraft including MiG 29K, Sea Harrier; Dhruv, Chetak helicopters. o 1600 personnel o Its radar has a range of 500kms. 2013 has been a special year for Indian Navy for following reasons: 1. got Boeing P8 I long range maritime reconnaissance planes 2. got Hawk jets to train navy pilots. 3. got full fledged communication satellite GSAT-7 4. first MiG-29K squadron was commissioned 5. INS Vikrant: first indigenous aircraft carrier, was launched at Kochi. 6. INS Arihant- Indias first home grown nuclear submarine: Its nuke reactor went critical in August month. 7. and finally got this INS Vikramaditya #2: Napalm incendiary weapon, designed by American chemists during WW2 Principle: fuel + thickening agent= fuel burns longer, gives higher temperature= more damage if poured on an enemy bunker/vehicle/soldier. Thickening agent used was: Naphthenate + aluminium palmitate. (hence called Napalm) was widely used during Korean and Vietnam War. UN convention prohibits the use of Napalm against civilians. Why in News? Syrian Air force dropped Napalm bombs over schoolchildren. (BBC report.) #3: EMP Bomb EMP=electromagnetic pulse Nuclear bomb blast => gamma radiation. Atom is made up of: proton + neutron + electron. but this gamma radiation throws electrons out of the atom. all those free electrons are then deflected by earths magnetic field. And thus an EMP blast is created. An EMP blast can disable all type of electronic equipment. But it wont damage physical structures- like bridges/buildings, It cant kill people directly. Solar flares also create EMP- damage satellites and communication network. ok but why in news? Because North Korea has (allegedly) bought EMP bombs from Russia = South Korea is worried. Physics/Chemistry #1: Tree Leaves to detect gold Gold mining companies spend billions of dollars to search new deposits of gold. But Australian researcher came with a cheaper method= just study the tree leaves. Acacias and eucalypts treet roots go very deep in the earth and while they suck water and minerals- they also suck gold particles. But these trees treat the gold as toxic, and store it away in their leaves for shedding later.= by studying the chemical contents of the tree leaves, we can make a preliminary assessment about gold deposits in the area. Synchrotron =particle accelerator machine in Australia. it was use for testing this tree-leaves-gold theory. #2: Candle flame vs Gravity When we light a candle, why does the flame go against the gravity (up)? Burning candle= nearby air gets hot=moves upwards. And the cold air from above comes downward. Soon, this cold air also gets hot and moves upward. This continuous cycle of air movement pushes the flame upwards and gives the teardrop / elongated shape. If there is no gravity, then candle flame will be in spherical shape. (Because there is no up direction for the warm air to rise.) Mock Questions 1. Which among the following used GSLV launch vehicle? a. GSAT7 b. GSAT14 c. Mars Orbitor Mission d. None of Above 2. Which of the following is not associated with Indian Navy a. Hawk Jet Trainer b. Boeing P8 c. GSAT-7 d. Samudra Paheredar 3. Find the correct statement about Nepalm a. Napalm is used in synethsis of Agent Orange b. Napalm can be used as fuel in bomber jets. c. UN convention forbids the use of Napalm against enemy soldiers during war. d. None of Above 4. Find incorrect statements a. an EMP blast cannot damage mechanical instruments stored in a bunker b. an EMP blast cannot kill soldiers hiding in a bunker c. an EMP blast cannot damage electronics stored in a bunker d. None of above Q5. Consider following statements about ISRO Mars Mission 1. Mangalyaan was launched using PSLV because PSLV can carry heavier weight and longer journey than GSLV 2. Mangalyaan has a Spectrometer to determine hydrogen and Deuterium levels in Martian atmosphere 3. Mangalyaan has a Photometer to study mineral composition of Martian soil Correct statements are: A. Only 1 and 2 B. Only 2 and 3 C. Only 1 and 3 D. None Q6. Consider following pairs 1. Mangalyaan=first Indian spacecraft to cross Earths escape velocity of 11.2 km per second. 2. INS Virat= Indias first ever indigenously built aircraft carrier 3. GSAT-7= Indias first full-fledged Military communication satellite. Correct pairs are A. Only 1 and 2 B. Only 2 and 3 C. Only 1 and 3 D. None Q7. Which of the following do not belong to ISRO? 1. Chandra X-ray Observatory 2. RH-200 3. Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer 4. Sample Analysis at Mars Answer choice A. Only 1 and 2 B. Only 2, 3 and 4 C. Only 2 and 4 D. Only 1 and 4 Mains 5 marks 1. Payloads on ISROs Mars orbital mission 2. MENCA 3. ISTRAC 4. INSAT 3D 5. GSAT-7 6. GSAT-14 12 marks 1. Discuss the modernization initiatives of 2013 that will help Indian Navy to become a Blue Water Navy. 2. India, a country faced with plethora of socio-economic problems, should not involve in space race with developed countries. Do you agree? Justify your stand. [Sci-Tech] TheHindu Sep-Oct-Nov:(Part 1 of 4) Environment and Biodiversity (EnB)- Jellyblooms,e-waste rules,SAFAR tech 1. Prologue 2. Flora Fauna Wildlife related 1. Jellyfish bloom 2. Cyber poaching 3. Tiger Census 4. Giant African Snail 5. Hibernation 6. Great Indian Bustard 7. Katurirangan report on western ghat 8. Human Cruelty by Animals? 3. Waste Management related 1. #1: E-waste rules 2. #2: Nisrgruna 3. #3: Coriander as biosorbent 4. Air Pollution related 1. #1 Air Quality Index 2. #2 SAFAR 3. #3 China bans coal based power plants 4. #4: Aerosol 5. Energy related 1. #1: Nanotech: Better solar panels 2. #2: Nanotech: better fuel cells 6. Mock Questions Prologue Until now, Ive compiled Hindu Sci-Tech upto August 2013. You can access the entire archive on Mrunal.org/snt now moving to next three months: September, October and November 2013. (minus last Thursday of November ie.28 th Nov) This compilation runs in total three parts, first part dealing with Environment and Biodiversity related topics. Topics of agro, medical research, space, IT etc in remaining parts coming soon. COP-19/ Warsaw climate change conference being a big topic- separately dealt click me Disclaim: Ive covered only Thursday edition. (in that too, left many topics that I felt useless.) However sci-tech news randomly comes in Non-Thursday editions also. And nothing prevents UPSC from asking anything from there. So one should keep habit of maintaining daily notes from the newspaper on his own. These articles are only meant to supplement your preparation- not substitutes of Hindu/IndianExpress Flora Fauna Wildlife related Jellyfish bloom Jellyfish bloom = huge increase Jellyfishes population. Jellyfish bloom: result? 1. In Sweden, a nuclear power plant had to be shut down after jellyfishes clogged its water cooling system. Similar incidents reported from Muscat, S.Korea to Scotland 2. Bad for fishermen: their nets get busted and trawl lines get clogged. 3. Jellyfish stings are extremely painful. Sea-resorts/beaches receive less tourists whenever jellyfishes are sighted near the coast. Why Jelly fish blooms? or, why is Jellyfish population increasing so rapidly? Predators They have few predators sea turtles, salmon, mackerel et al.Overfishing of salmon, mackerel = less predators of jelly fish. cuisine Except a few Asian countries- most people dont eat Jelly fish because its meat is tasteless and you need to carefully remove its poisonous stings.=less demand=fishermen avoid jellyfishes. Competitors Jelly fish competes with smaller fishes for the same food. But Jelly fish even eats the eggs of its competitors fishes= collapses smaller fish populations. Reproduction They create polypslittle bundles of clones. Polyps attach to hard surfaces and wait for their opportunity to release small jellyfish. Nowadays with lot of man-made hard surfaces in the ocean: drilling platforms, offshore wind turbines, boats, anchors etc even plastic cigarette packets= more places for polyps to thrive. In Certain species of jelly fish- even dead jelly fishes cells find each other again and from a whole new polyp. Because of this polyps mechanism- Jellyfish can even transport to new ecosystem- where often they have no natural predators. Algae Bloom Pesticides, fertilziers, industral waste etc=>river=>ocean This increases the nitrogen and phosphorous content in water=> algal blooms During algal bloom, oxygen content in water decrease. = most marine organisms are wiped out. However, jellyfish can survive because it needs very little oxygen. So as other animals dwindle, jellyfish colonies expand Example: Pollution from Yangtze River in western China => dead zones in the East China and Yellow Seas with Jelly blooms. Cyber poaching Cyber poaching is the use of GPS, satellite, IT technology poaching animals. Iridium collar= fitted on tigers, can track them both via satellite and ground tracking. Can provide GPS data about animals movement at regular interval daily. Wildlife official found that someone from Pune tried to access this GPS data of tiger in MP=>leading to suspicion that hacker tried to get the tiger movement data- pass it to poachers so the animal can be easily hunted. FIR has been lodged. in the meantime, forest officers captured this tiger, replaced this iridium collar with Very High Frequency (VHF) collar. VHF collar GPS collar since 60s recent technology An animal wearing a VHF collar = transmits radiowaves- you track it with a special receiver and directional antenna. (but you have to in the nearby region). GPS tracking is based on a radio receiver (rather than a transmitter) in an animals collar. satellite used for monitoring the location coordinates- every 15 minutes, one hour etc. labor intensive. You need a man on the ground / plane in the air to track animal. So, doesnt work well in bad weather / difficult terrain. Satellite captures GPS coordinates- you can see animals location on computer anywhere. Cheap expensive long life Battery expires in a few months. Accuracy=reasonable. extreme Tiger Census Conducted every four years. By National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) + Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun It is in news because October-December 2013 period, tiger census will run in the four southern states. Authorities also want to include NGOs and citizens in this exercise. Public participation gives transparency and credibility to tiger census. (else local forest officers might inflate tiger numbers in their district.) but as per the rules: no cameras/mobile phones allowed. hence very few volunteers applied. Why? Because in previous census Volunteers spent most of their time shooting photos and recording videos, rather than collecting data. flashlights from camera=disturbs the tigers and other wildlife. Giant African Snail Exotic pest introduced from East Africa to India in 1800s This is the biggest land snail Damages crops of papaya, brinjal etc. Snail is one type of Mollusk= Invertebrate having a soft body usually enclosed in a shell Snail is a hermaphrodite and lays eggs on soil. In cold regions, snail can undergo hibernation Hibernation What? Hibernation is a way that some animals deal with the harshness of winter. They curl up in a safe place, barely breathe, heartbeat is so slow you can hardly detect it, as if the animal is almost dead. In warmer weather, they return to their regular activities. Hibernation =in winter / cold regions. Similarly, Estivation = in summer/ hot regions. Why Hibernation? Evolutionary mechanism to survive in winters + food shortage. they breathe slowly, dont move=energy expenditure declines. Can live with just their body fat. (new research) o Hibernation boosts immunity. o Predator avoidance: since animal is motionless and emit minimal noise and body odour= predator cannot detect it. Who? Mammals: bats, bears, chipmunks, mice, hedgehog, Prairie Dogs, Raccoons, hamsters frogs, snakes, turtles, snails, earthworms, bees, lizards Birds: Poorwill, Nighthawks. Great Indian Bustard Regarding Great Indian Bustard: Less than 250 left in country. Why decline? Andra has received ca$h from CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning).. Yet theyve not declared bird sanctuary for great Indian bustards. Maharashtra in Chandrapur, the government ordered that farmland cannot be sold if bustard was seen on it. So, farmers kill bustards to sell the land. Karnataka Forest officials planting exotic tree species= unsuitable as habitat for birds + less insect=less food Erosion of grassland by domestic animals=less insects=less food for bird. Grassland turned into farmland, Farmland sold for industrial purpose= less insects=less food. Forest mafia destroying teak trees. poaching Unregulated tourism. In recent times, UPSC has been asking MCQ about status and location of endangered species. So, As per International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s red list: Birds found in India red list status (on Nov 2013) Found in Great Indian Bustard critically endangered Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh Cattle Egret least concern Egrets are local winter Migratory birds. In winter, they migrate to Ooty hill station region. They also feed on pest/insects=help farmers. Baya Weaver least concern
Pink-headed Duck critically endangered You dig and post in comments. Jerdons Courser critically endangered Siberian Crane critically endangered Indian Vulture critically endangered Bengal Florican critically endangered Katurirangan report on western ghat Weve already seen Gadgil report in detail: click me But Gadgil report led to widespread protests by villagers and forest/builder/mining mafia lobby in Western Ghats. So, Environment ministry setup one more committee under Kasturirangan, in August 2012. headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan (Member, Planning Commission) Gadgil Kasturirangan Official name: Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) High Level Working Group (HLWG) use satellite data down to 9km resolution 24 meters resolution Classifies western ghat region into three zone: 1, 2 and 3. Separate level protection to each of this zones. click me for more It classifies Western Ghat into cultural landscape: ~58% Natural landscape ~42%. kept cultural landscape within purview of ecologically sensitive areas. Kasturi has kept cultural landscape out of purview of Ecologically sensitive areas. e.g. sacred groves of Kerala- rich in biodiversity. So, if Kasturis recommendations accepted, any builder could raze the sacred groves to construct new buildings. (or atleast thats what Gadgil followers say) entire Western ghat should be declared as ecologically sensitive area under Environment Protection Act, 1986. nope, only 37% area of Western ghat (=60000 sq.km) villages with population density >100, shoulnot be declared ecologically sensitive. pro-people, pro-nature.Grama Sabhas should decide on the Ecological Sensitivity of the respective areas autocratic approach. Doesnt include local communitys role in ecological decision-making. (or atleast thats what Gadgil followers say) Why Kasturi in news? As per Kasturis recommendation, Environment ministry banned mining activities and restrict on construction activities in 123 villages of Western Ghat. Kasturi also recommends that commercial crops, rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cashew, cardamom, arecanut and coconut etc. shouldnot be allowed in such ecologically sensitive areas. + even chemical fertilizers and pesticides should not be allowed for any crops. result? farmers are against Kasturis report. = violent protests in Kerala. Human Cruelty by Animals? Shimla Municipal Corporation had earlier rounded up every stray dog and kept them in dog houses built outside the town. But an NGO got these dogs released and now leopards entering localities to hunt this dogs Similarly, people throwing food garbage in the town= monkeys coming from jungle causing more crop destruction. State Government has banned export of monkeys for medical research. Kisan Sabha demanding that (1) monkeys must be culled and (2) monkey export should be permitted. Animal-loving NGOs move to courts for flimsiest reasons but dont care for such problems faced by humans. Waste Management related #1: E-waste rules e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 By Environment ministry- made in 2011, became effective since 2012 Covers: electrical / IT equipment. Doesnt cover: lead batteries and radioactive waste (separate rules for them) Features aim safe disposal e-waste through private bodies Coverage Apply to every producer, consumer and recycling center. Ceiling Specify the ceiling limits of lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, ether etc. hazardous substances in electrical equipment. Every producer has to certify their equipment donot contain those substances beyond the specified level. Disposal Concept: Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR). Meaning, once the consumer discards the electronic / IT product- it is producers responsibility to collect the e-waste and ensure theyre safely disposed. Producer has to take back its discarded electronic products from customers. (or can outsource this work to a recycler/collection center) If municipality gather e-waste (during their day-to-day operation)- they need to hand over e-waste to such private bodies. Non- Compliance State pollution control board can cancel the license of that producer . Some more fodder points on e-waste 1. E-waste is not entirely waste. you can salvage iron, aluminum, copper and gold and other precious metals and reuse them 2. but e-waste also contains mercury, cadmium etc. hazardous substances 3. Mercury =bio-accumulates (builds up in organisms) and biomagnifies (moves up the food chain). Thus, even a minuscule amount of mercury can affect entire ecology and human health. 4. As per ASSOCHAM report top three e-waste producing cities city rank e-waste in tonnes per year 1. Mumbai >60,000 2. Delhi >40,000 3. Banglore >35,000 #2: Nisrgruna too clichd topic, besides already been asked in one of the earlier mains. but anyways: Nisargruna= solid waste management technology devised by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) 1 tonne of biodegradable waste from households, hotels, farms=>nisargruna plant=>methane (1 cylinder) + manure (50kg) 4 such cylinders can power 80-100 LED streetlight for 8 hours. takes only 20 lakhs to setup one plant. More efficient than traditional biogas plants been in news because a new Plants being setup in Madurai + Chennai some fodder points related to municipal waste By 2100: Indias total waste generation will be 70 per cent of all the high income and OECD countries put together by 2030 India will be worlds largest municipal solid waste generator. #3: Coriander as biosorbent Coriander or cilantro, the leafy herb used to garnish variety of Indian food. US researchers found coriander leafs are potential biosorbent = can remove lead, nickel and other toxic heavy metals from water. can be used low-cost remedy to purify drinking water. Air Pollution related #1 Air Quality Index Air Quality Index is a color-coded tool that categorizes air quality. Air QualityRating Air Quality Index (AQI) Color GOOD 0 50 green MODERATE 51 100 yellow UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS 101 150 orange UNHEALTHY 151 200 red VERY UNHEALTHY 201 300 purple HAZARDOUS >300 maroon Air Quality index can be measured based on particle size. PM 10: measure pollutants with a diameter of 10 microns or less. PM 2.5: pollutants with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less. For example Air QualityRating Range PM10 PM2.5 Color GOOD 0 50
green MODERATE 51 100
yellow UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS 101 150
orange UNHEALTHY 151 200
red VERY UNHEALTHY 201 300
purple HAZARDOUS >300
maroon for Beijing, it remains >300 (hazardous) and for Delhi- in the range of 250 (very unhealthy). [October data] #2 SAFAR SAFAR: System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Computerized system developed by Indian institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune (under Ministry of Earth Science) with help of India Meteorological Department (IMD). SAFAR was installed in Delhi, during CWG-2010. Later in Pune. Why in news? Because SAFAR is being installed in Mumbai. (October) it provides data on 1. Air Quality Index health advisory 2. UV Index skin advisory 3. Dynamic city pollution maps. Quality of air can be forecasted 24-72 hours in advance. #3 China bans coal based power plants In Beijing, air quality index is constantly above 300 in recent months. Haze is a routine phenomenon. Air pollution has reduced Chinese peoples life expectancy by 5.5 years and so on finally Chinese government woke up, has banned new coal based power plants in the three key industrial regions 1. Beijing 2. Shanghai 3. Guangdong (Pearl River) China will try to reduce its coal consumption to 65% by 2017, and aim for more nuclear, natural gas and renewable energy. #4: Aerosol Aerosol= solid/liquor particles uniformly distributed in gas. natural man-made sea salt, dust soot from vehicles. firewood burning, sulphate particles from thermal / cement plants. Aerosol optical depth (AOD)= An index of aerosol levels. Researchers found aerosol level has increased over the years in India. Why aerosol bad in atmosphere? They absorb light= less sunlight coming to ground. also affect how much heat escapes from earth Thus aerosol affect aerosol affect regional climate and monsoon (+respiratory problems). Man made aerosols have HFCs (Hydrofloro carbons)=greenhouse effect. Energy related #1: Nanotech: Better solar panels Solar power panels use semiconductor material, like silicon or gallium arsenide Sunlight=>photons=> Semiconductor material =>electromagnetic energy London researchers coated this solar panel surface with aluminum nanostructures. Result? More photons absorbed=>more electricity produced. Earlier scientists tried similar thing with silver and gold nanoparticles. But Aluminum is giving better performance at cheaper cost. Price of Solar Power in India 2011 Rs. 18/kWh 2013 Rs. 7/kWh Aluminum nano structure Could help bring down the cost even further #2: Nanotech: better fuel cells Fuel cells: chemical energy=>electricity. Fuel cell running cars will emit water rather than carbon dioxide. But fuel cells use platinum as a catalyst= very expensive. Researchers came with new tech. to convert cheap catalyst from geletin. Gelatin is protein, used in jelly making. Gelatin+Magneisum+Iron=>heating=>create metal nanoparticles. Useem as catalyst in fuel cells. Mock Questions Q1. Consider following statements about Nisargruna Technology 1. It is a solid waste management technology developed by BARC 2. can transform plastic waste into biodiesel 3. More efficient than traditional biogas plants because Nisargruna plant can directly turn waste into butane gas. The incorrect statements are A. only 1 B. only 2 C. only 2 and 3 D. only 1 and 3 Q2. Consider following statements about hibernation 1. It is a survival mechanism to cope up with harsh winters. 2. During hibernation, animal reduces its breathing rate to increase its metabolism rate. 3. Only mammals can undergo hibernation. Correct statements are A. only 1 B. only 2 C. only 2 and 3 D. only 1 and 3 Q3. Which of the following set of birds are included in IUCNs critically endangered list? A. Great Indian Bustard, Cattle Egret, Indian Vulture B. Great Indian Bustard, Siberian Crane, Cattle Egret C. Great Indian Bustard, Siberian Crane, Indian Vulture D. Cattle Egret, Siberian Crane, Indian Vulture Q4. Consider following statements about Jellyfish: 1. Jellyfish is one type of Mollusk 2. Jellyfish population is on decline because the overfishing of its food-salmon and mackerel. 3. Jellyfish requires high amount of dissolved oxygen and hence can die immediately during an algae bloom. 4. Man-made hard surfaces in the ocean such as drilling platforms, offshore wind turbines, boats and anchors negatively affect the reproduction of jelly fishes. Correct statements A. only 1 and 2 B. only 2 and 3 C. only 2, 3 and 4 D. None Q4. Find correct statements A. VHF collar is more accurate in tracking wild animals compared to GPS collars. B. VHF collar is one type of radio transmitter. C. Both A and B correct D. Neither A nor B correct Q5.Consider following statements about Tiger Census 1. Tiger census is conducted at the interval of every five years. 2. Tiger census is solely done by Wild life institute of India, with help of state forest departments. 3. As per the tiger census rules, the forest officials are prohibited from using public and NGOs in the tiger counting work. Correct statements A. Only 1 B. only 2 and 3 C. Only 1 and 3 D. None Q6. Consider following statements about Katurirangan report on western ghat 1. Kasturirangan is the chairman of Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) 2. His report recommends entire Western ghat should be declared as ecologically sensitive area under Environment Protection Act, 1986. 3. His report recommends promoting cultivation of rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cashew, cardamom, arecanut and coconut in the ecologically sensitive areas- to prevent tribals from joining poaching activities. Incorrect statements A. Only 1 B. only 2 and 3 C. All D. None Q7. Incorrect statement A. E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules were enacted by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in 2011. B. These rules follow the principle of Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR), under which, producer is freed from the responsibility of safe-disposal of e- waste, by paying a specified amount to government. C. both A and B D. Neither A nor B Q8. Correct Statement A. As per the Air Quality index- city with lower index number is more polluted than a city with higher index number. B. System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) is a new technology developed by Japan to monitor air quality index during next Olympic Games. C. both A and B D. Neither A nor B Mains 5 marks 1. SAFAR technology 2. Tiger Census 3. Great Indian Bustard 12 marks 1. List the salient features of the rules enacted by Ministry of environment and forestry for management and handling of e-waste. 2. Between Gadgil and Kasturirangans recommendations- which one is more suitable for the conservation of Western Ghats? Why? 3. List the applications of nanotechnology in the area of clean energy. [Sci-Tech]TheHindu Sep-Oct-Nov(Part 2of4): Agriculture, Public Health, Medical research related 1. Prologue 2. Foodcrops related 1. #1: Trombay Crop varieties 2. #2: Navara Rice 3. #3: Rice-Fish-Poultry Integrated Model 3. Milk/Meat/Fish related: 1. #1: Poultry Meat to Biodiesel 2. #2: Sea Ranching 3. #3: TMR (Total mixed ration) 4. #4: FMD outbreak in South India 4. Public Health/Policy related 1. #1: B.Sc (Community Health) 2. #2: Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013 3. #3: Brainmapping, Lie Detection and Narco Analysis 4. #4: Eye Donation 5. Disease/Anatomy related 1. #1: Wifi Pacemaker 2. #2: Rabies 3. #3: Kala Azar 4. #4: Goose bumps 5. #5: Pediatric TB 6. Medical research related 1. Nano capsule vaccine 2. Regenerative Medicine 3. 4D printing 4. In-vivo iPS cell 5. 3 parent baby 6. DNAs half life 7. Mock Questions Prologue In the previous article (part 1 or 3) we saw the environment and biodiversity (EnB) related topics from Sep-Oct-Nov months of TheHindu click me Now (part 2 of 3): time for agriculture and public health related topics. part (3 of 3): dealing with IT, Space and other misc. topics coming soon. Foodcrops related #1: Trombay Crop varieties by BARC scientists. Using radiation induced mutation and cross-breeding. Agro. Ministry has permitted their commercial cultivation. In the 70s, BARC started with Trombay Groundnut (TG-1) for Guj-Maharashtra region Crop No. of Trombay varieties Groundnut 15- large seeds, drought resistant, no sprouts/germination during storage Mustard 3 Soya 2-more resistant to bacteria Sunflower 1 Mooong 8- can survive salinity, disease-resistant, early maturing Tuvar 4 Urad 5 Chouli 1 Rice 1 Jute 1 Total 41 Benefits: individual crop varietys feature may vary but by and large takes less time to mature drought/ pest tolerant longer shelf life #2: Navara Rice Navara is a medicinal rice variety. Red colored. Grown in Kerala. used in Ayurveda remedies for rheumatisms, neuro muscular disorders and body rejuvenation. enjoys geographical indication (GI) status. (Pokkali rice=another Kerala rice that enjoys GI status=Pokkali rice) but Navara rice cultivation is almost extinct. Why? o pure seeds not available o low yield, high production cost Now farmers trying to revive this via concept of Navara Eco Farm- with organic farming Pesticides not used. Instead, they plant Tulsi and marigold to repel the insects. #3: Rice-Fish-Poultry Integrated Model In this model, farmer uses % of his land To grow 90% Paddy (rice) 5% Fishes carp, roghu, cutla etc. 5% Poultry cage. Erected in such a way that one part is over the fishes and one part over the paddy crop. This way, bird dropping help as fish-feed + farm- manure. Benefits 1. Recycling waste products-using them as fish feed and manure 2. Additional income from poultry and fishes 3. bio-control of pests: fish feed on the pests and insects attacking the rice plant 4. Similar triple-income model can also be constructed with silkworm rearing, or apiary. Madurai malli Flower in TN Enjoys GI status (click me for earlier article) Why in news? Because theyre looking for exprort potential in Malaysia Problem: rainfall scarcity, Labor shortage because of MNREGA, Cotton Duty (Although not really a sci-tech topic) Currently, duty-free cotton exports are permitted (after registering contracts with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Textile minister wants to impose 10% duty on overseas sale of cotton. But Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said not a good idea sir-ji Reasons: o Indias cotton production has been increasing every year. o In such a situation, there should be no restrictions on export of raw cotton and no duty on export. o any quantitative restriction or export duty would penalise farmers Milk/Meat/Fish related: #1: Poultry Meat to Biodiesel Namakkal district of TN= leading producer of poultry. (for more on [food processing] click me) Avg. 4000 birds die here every day and discarded in the open=>foul smell, contamination of ground water, health hazards, house flies and diseases. Now a TN researcher designed method to extract bio-diesel out of dead poultry. Each dead chicken weighs about 1.5 kg and ~15% of its body has fat. Using solvent extraction method, we can extract this fat and turn it into body diesel. This way six birds=1 litre of bio-diesel. This bio-diesel can be blended with regular diesel in 20:80 ratio and can be used in regular vehicles. #2: Sea Ranching Sea ranching is a process of releasing artificially cultured juvenile fishes into the sea or estuarine waters=> let them mature=>fishing. can be used for shrimps, sea cucumber, sea urchin, variety of fishes. New sea ranching project in Kozikode- 4 lakh larvae of tiger prawns released. This would help inland fishermen of the district- who are negatively affected by overfishing practices and climatic changes Economies of sea ranching=> 4 lakh larvae = only 20% survive= 1,600 kg of prawn, and at an average Rs.250 a kg, this will amount to Rs.3 lakh to Rs.4 lakh in returns. #3: TMR (Total mixed ration) New type of cheap cattle feed being tested in Kerala. Uses mixture of ground nuts, sesame, red gram, molasses, toxin binder, salt and vitamin mineral mixtures. Cheaper than commercial feeds Can also be given to goats, sheep etc. Reduces the green fodder requirement Increases milk output. #4: FMD outbreak in South India In [Food Processing] Milk sector article, weve already seen theory Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) and how it affects the supply line of milk/meat industry. click me FMD is in news because of outbreak reported in Andhra. There are four type of FMD virus: A, C, O and Asia1. Indian cattle is given vaccines against all these FMD viruses- twice a year. Sheep and goats (cloven hoofed animals) are also susceptible to the FMD viral disease. FMD is not a public health hazard. It doesnt spread to humans. Public Health/Policy related #1: B.Sc (Community Health) Union cabinet approved this new degree course. 3 years course in state university => Community health officer under health ministry. Syllabus designed by National Board of Examinations (NBE). (and not the medical council of India MCI) Will help in: diarrhea, pneumonia, vaccination, TB, fever, skin infection, normal delivery etc. will act as a bridge between village midwife/ASHA work vs a doctor Opposition Why? MBBS lobby 1. Course Syllabus not designed by MCI= such graduates cannot be expected to provide professionaldiagnosis and treatment. 2. This B.Sc course will create two tiers of medical professionals. parliamentary standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare 1. these half-baked doctors will endanger the lives of the patients. 2. Instead of such fancy new courses- better make it mandatory for new MBBS to serve in rural areas for the first few years. 3. 12 th FYP already proposed setting up medical colleges in every district. So doctor shortage will be removed soon, then why are you making new degree? #2: Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013 By Department of Pharmaceutics under ministry of Chemical and fertilizer. (and not health ministry). To fix ceiling price of essential medicines on the basis of market-based pricing. DPCO 2013 empowers the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to regulate prices of 348 essential drugs. How? Make a list of all pharma companies with marketshare of atleast 1% or more. observe their prices for given drug- take simple average of those prices +local taxes and 16% profit margin for retail chemist. Decide ceiling price based on that. Sounds well and good, whats the problem? 1. Patented drugs not covered. So most of the MNC pharma brands are out of the scope. 2. AYUSH drugs are not covered. 3. Only applies to 348 drugs. There are total ~900 allopathic drugs in India. 4. Companies can still evade price ceiling by adding / changing a few ingredients in their drug formulation. 5. Doesnt not apply to newly patented within India (for first five years). =companies might file frivolous patents by slightly modifying existing mixtures- to evade price ceiling. 6. Even within ceiling, Doctors can still prescribe most expensive variety of drug and patient will buy it. (and doctor mints commission from pharma company.) Anyways, but why in News? become Some NGO filed court case- alleging that DPCO encourages profiteering. Government prince regime guided by market- driven forces= bad idea. National List of Essential Drugs consists of only 348 drugs and left out many essential medicines from price control. Drugs in news (DIN?) Mycidac- C Cadilas new New drug For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Price: 40000 for 10 injections (still cheaper than its rival Avastin by Roche pharma.) Got permission from to sell in India Metformin used for treatment of type II diabetes. some researchers believed It also helps in heart-diseases-even in non- diabetic patients. But the clinical trials have been inconclusive so far. Ranbaxy Indian drug company Ranbaxy Laboratories used fraudulent data to approval from USAs FDA to sell generic drugs in America. (according to its whistleblower employee.) #3: Brainmapping, Lie Detection and Narco Analysis Polygraph Popularly called Lie detection test. Been used since 1920s. Lie detection instrument connected with suspects body. He is asked series of questions. Principle: deceptive/wrong answers produce physiological responses different than true answers e.g. BP, pulse rate, respiration and skin temperature. Thus you can find lie by monitoring his physiological indices. Narco Analysis Suspect is given injection of truth serum e.g. sodium thiopental/ Sodium Pentothal/ Sodium Amytal. (one type of barbiturate derivate.) Principle: truth serums act on the central nervous system (CNS). They reduce anxiety and self-control. Suspect becomes woozy/ trance/half- unconscious. Then you ask questions, hell (most likely) tell the truth. Brain Mapping Sensors attached to Suspects head. He is shown audio/video/images related to crime scene. Principle: suspects brain recognizes things from a crime scene and produces different type of brain waves (while innocent person who has no knowledge of crime scene- will not produce those brain waves). In a typical criminal investigation, suspects first undergo a lie detection test, then brain mapping and narco-analysis. As per an expert committee of NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences) says Brain mapping = unscientific and should be discontinued as an investigative tool and as evidence in courts. As per Supreme court directive: police cannot do Brain mapping, polygraph and brain-mapping tests without consent of the accused person. fine but Why in news? Because LeT bomber Abdul Karim Tunda refused to give consent for brain mapping, citing his old age and health problems. (September 2013 news) #4: Eye Donation National Eye Donation fortnight was held in Aug-September period. India has around 20 lakh people with corneal blindness they can see again with eye transplantation. eye donation does not disfigure the dead body and the procedure takes only about 10 to 15 minutes. shelf life of a retrieved eye is 12 days- it is given to needy patient based on waiting list. We have to motivate people to donate eyes. but only signing forms alone is not sufficient. A person must inform his friends and relatives. (that if I die, contact this xyz number to get my eye donated) World Sight Day= celebrated on second Thursday of October. This year it was on 10th Oct. Disease/Anatomy related #1: Wifi Pacemaker Normal heart beat 60-90 times per minute. (72 to be exact) bradycardia heart beats at a slower rate than 60 beats per minute Tachycardia Heart rate >100 beats per minute. arrhythmias irregular heartbeat sinoatrial (SA) node. Group of cells- that generate electrical signal . This signal controls heartbeat rate. Faulty electrical = arrhythmias=irregular heartbeat. During Tachycardia (too fast heart beats), upper chambers of heart cannot fill up blood within the fast beat= blood flow become irregular=>fatigue, dizziness, fainting, and/or chest pain even death. Pacemaker Implantable Cardio Defibrillator. (ICD) Generates low energy electrical impulses= to make the heart beat at normal rate. same. but not just impulse- it can also give an electrical high-shock during emergency. Pacemaker runs on a battery- need replacement @4-5 years. same Latest models of pacemaker even have wifi- feature. It can directly send messages to the doctor, about patients heart rate. same ok but Why in news? Because ex-Vice President Dick Cheney had turned off wifi feature in his defibrillator- because of fear that terrorists could hack it to kill him, via wifi! Speaking of fancy heart gadgets: AED Automated External Defibrillator Shocks the heart back to its normal rhythm. You may have seen this in many Hollywood movies. Anyone can use AED device on the patient during emergency. But need to educate people and need to place AEDs @commonplaces like railway station, bus complex, and a shopping malls. Holter Monitor A small, portable ECG. Can be worn over chest to track your heart rate for 24 hours and doctor can use this data for diagnosis.
#2: Rabies is a zoonosis disease (transmitted from animals to humans) other examples of such diseases are Anthrax, Bovine tuberculosis, Plague, Ringworm. Virus is present in the salivary glands of rabid animals. When rabid animal bites human= virus transmitted. Raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, dogs, and cats, among other smaller animals can spread rabies through their bites. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system. Causes hypersalivation (increase in saliva), hydrophobia (fear of water), partial paralaysis, hallucinations and finally death. (India: >20,000 per year) Louis Pasteur (French)= pasteurization, anthrax vaccine, rabies vaccine. earlier, you had to get 16 injections of anti-rabies vaccine on the abdomen. Today, with advanced care, just 4-5 injection sufficient. No treatment is required if a person feeds or touches a rabid dog. No treatment required if rabid dog licks intact skin of human. But if the rabid dog causes a skin injury or licks the mucus membrane like in the mouth, eyes and nose, vaccination is must. #3: Kala Azar Also known visceral leishmaniasis. caused by Parasite: Leishmania Spread by female sand-fly (it bites for blood meal) Affects spleen, liver and bone marrow. (Parasite cannot synthesize iron containing haem molecule on its own. So, it attacks those organs in search of hemoglobin.) In terms of death record by parasitic diseases: #1 Malaria and #2 is Kala Azar. Our national health policy aims to eliminate Kala-azar by 2015 i.e. less than 1 case per 10,000 population at sub-district level. Weve also signed Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nepal and Bangladesh to eliminate Kala-azar from the South East Asia region by 2015, Drugs used: Miltefosine capsule, Amphotericin B injection. (brandname Fungisome) By and large, Kala Azar drugs are toxic and expensive. No vaccine has yet been licensed. ok but why in news? Because an American institute testing vaccine in India. #4: Goose bumps Goosebumps are caused by extreme cold or intense emotions How? electric impulse passing thru tiny muscles below skin=>skin contracts and the hairs get erect. Fur animals use goose bumps for insulation against coldness. (because erect hairs trap more air=more insulation) in cats and rats- goose-bumps make their bodysize appear bigger= to frighten their enemies. ok but what is the use of goosebumps in humans? Nothing. Its just a vestigial reflex. Other examples of vestigial traits=appendix, tailbone, wisdom teeth and tonsils. #5: Pediatric TB 1997: Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) started Limitation? Passive approach RNTCP waits for the patient to come to the clinic and get his sputum tested. But in the meantime, hed have infected dozen more. Children neglected WHO recommends that if an adult has TB, then all children (below 5 years age in his house must be tested for TB. Because children are particularly susceptible to TB bacteria. But RNTCP doesnt do this. DOTS workers dont inquire about children living in TB patients house either. Result? Highest number of TB patients found in India- ~3.5 million and >10% of them are children. TB in Children: detection problems? Unlike adult, children donot product sputum= hard to diagnose in lab. Smear microscopy and other traditional methods to detect TB= dont give conclusive result when used on children. Solution? Use Xpert MTB test on children to detect TB. (we already saw this test under GeneExpert device click me) Xpert MTB is a rapid molecular test. WHO recommends it for diagnosing Multi-drug resistant TB (MTB) this test can give result within two hours. even if very few TB bacteria present in the sample. Limitation: barely ~30 Xpert diagnostic machines in India. Brighter side: if Child is infected but has not yet developed TB disease, just give him isoniazid drug for six month and problem solved. Medical research related Nano capsule vaccine Nanocapsule vaccines give better protection than normal vaccine Doesnt require injection /needle. Mucosa tissues= found in Human respirator track, alimentary canal, and the reproductive tract. If Nano-capsule vaccine is delivered to any of these one sites- it gives immunity to all other sites as well. e.g. if future HIV vaccine is given through inhaler in nose= will grant immunity to genitals (from where HIV virus can enter body.) Thus nanocapsule vaccines delivered through inhalers=future of medicine- especially HIV, human papillomavirus (Cervical cancer), herpes, influenza and tuberculosis and other diseases that pass through mucosal tissues. Regenerative Medicine It is a branch of medical science which studies the replacement or regeneration of human cells, tissue and organs. This helps in chronic (long term) diseases. Involves use of stem cells and now 3D printing (for example: 3d printed liver, kidney, ears etc.) Latest in this area is 4D printing. 4D printing 4D printing=3D printing + time / place dimension. For example, A soldiers uniform that can alter its color pattern depending on time/season/surrounding place A soldiers armor that can alter its defense-mechanism based on type of attack: bullet/acid/fire/radiation/chemical etc. An artificial organ that can adapt based on lifestyle, diet, blood group, and infection etc. of the patient. In-vivo iPS cell Adult cell (e.g. from skin, muscle etc)=>reprogram=> becomes iPS cell (induced pluripotent stem cells) Use this iPS stem cell to grow liver, heart, kidney etc. in lab.=>organ transplant. Last year, Nobel was given for this iPS research. So far, iPS cells could be grown only in labs (in-vitro) But now researcher working on how to grow iPS cells right inside the body (in- vivo) Benefit? Theyll have more uses as regenerative medicine than lab grown iPS cells (in-vitro) 3 parent baby already covered in june-july-august series click me same story repeated in October edition as well. Anyways, lets check Mitochondria= powerhouse of cell, help oxidizing food and generate energy. Also help coordinating several molecular events. During fertilization Embryo gets mitochondria DNA from mother side. Fathers sperm also contain mitochondria in its tail- but not given to the embryo. If mother has Defective mitochondria=> baby likely to have liver, heart and respiratory disease. What is the solution? In mothers egg, replace mitochondria with healthy from a donor lady. Then use this modified egg in the fertilization with fathers sperm. Thus three-parent baby is born: Father Gave sperm Mito-mom Donor lady, Gave mitochondria DNA Geno-mom Gave the egg UK gave permission for clinical trials. USA still contemplating over the biological, ethical and legal issues involved in this technology. 1978 Invitro fertilization 1996 Dolly ship clone 2013 Three parent baby Exact years not important but chronology is. Incase UPSC asks an like they did in CAPF-2013 for plasma, LED and CRT televisions chronology. DNAs half life New research found DNA has a half-life of 521 years. That means that after 521 years, half of the bonds between nucleotides in DNA would have broken; after another 521 years half of the remaining bonds would have gone. ok but how is that even relevant? Because in Hollywood sci-fi movies, you may have seen how scientist would use DNA sample from dinosaurs and ancient insects are trapped in amber and breed a new dinosaur or some other massive creature. This is implausible because dinosaurs died 65 million years ago. And given that DNAs half-life is just 521 years- their DNA has become junk- there is no way you can decode it and create new dinosaur. Cytoskeleton This material in our cells, determines the mechanical properties of the cell. If the cytoskeleton is damaged, cell-division is affected, too. Cancer damages this cytoskeleton, rendering cells softer and smoother. Thus, by studying cytoskeleton we can detect cancer. Research on going in this area. Botulism Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic bacteria=can only grow in the absence of oxygen. Botulinum = toxin produced by this bacteria. It can enter human body through contaminated food, wounds, water=> botulism=death if untreated. ok but why in news? Scientists have discovered a new strain of this bacteria- its toxin has no antidote. Theyve not published all details- otherwise terrorists can use it for making bioweapons. Polonium Polonium (Po) is a radioactive element. Marie Curie had discovered it and named after her homeland- Poland. Polonium is deadlier than cyanide. ya but why in news? A Swiss scientist found high levels of Polonium on blood-saliva stains on Yasser Arafats clothes- suggesting that someone (=Israelis) had poisoned him. DEET DEET ( N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the most widely used insect repellant Problem: costly, dissolves plastics and synthetic fabrics, But now scientists looking for natural alternative made from grape. Mock Questions 1. Which among the following set of agriculture produce, enjoys GI status? a. Madurai Malli, Trombay groundnut, Pokalli rice b. Trombay groundnut, Navara Rice, Madurai Malli c. Pokkali rice, Navara Rice, Madurai Malli d. None of Above 2. Sea Ranching a. is an adventure sport b. is a novel method for mining metals from Polymetallic nodules in the sea bed. c. is a method where juvenile organisms are released in the sea /inland water to increase their harvestable stock. d. none of above 3. find Correct statement(s) a. Foot and mouth Disease (FMD) is a viral disease that can only spread among domestic animals. b. FMD can spread from animals to humans, therefore it is not advisable to eat the meat of an animal died of FMD. c. Both A and B d. Neither A nor B 4. Find correct statement(s) about Trombay Crop varieties a. Theyre developed by ICAR b. Environment ministry has banned their commercial usage due to presence of Bt-strain. c. both A and B d. Neither A nor B 5. What is the principle behind polygraph tests? a. Deceptive answers produce notable difference in pulse rate, respiration and other physiological parameters. b. Injection of certain drugs can inhibit self-control and suspect would give true answers. c. Brain can automatically generate specific type of waves, when it recognizes a sound / picture / video of a place the suspect had earlier visited. d. None of above 6. What is the principle behind narco-analysis tests? a. Under influence of truth serums, deceptive answers produce notable difference in pulse rate, respiration and other physiological parameters. b. Injection of certain drugs can inhibit brains self-control and suspect would give true answers c. Under influence of truth serums, Brain can automatically generate specific type of waves, when it detects a sound / picture / video of a place/person that suspect had earlier visited. d. None of above 7. What is the principle behind brain mapping tests? a. Deceptive answers generate notable different type of brain waves in the suspects brain, compared to true answers. b. Injection of certain drugs can inhibit brains self-control and suspect would give true answers. c. Brain can automatically generate specific type of waves, when it detects a sound / picture / video of a place/person that suspect had earlier visited. d. None of above 8. Incorrect statements about eye donation a. If the donated eye is not transplanted to patient within 3 days, it becomes useless. b. Donated eye cannot restore vision of a patient suffering from corneal blindness. c. both A and B d. Neither A nor B 9. Correct statements about mitochondria a. Mitochondria helps coordinating several molecular events. b. If mother has defective mitochondria, baby will not be affected because an embryo gets mitochondria from fathers side through sperms. c. Both A and B d. neither A nor B 10. Incorrect statements about Botulism a. Botulism is a genetic disorder found in the next generations of survivors of nuclear disaster. b. Polonium can used as a medication to treat botulism c. Both A and B d. neither A nor B 11. Correct statements about Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013 a. It is formulated by the Ministry of Health and family welfare b. It fixes ceiling price of both allopathic and AYUSH drugs in India. c. Both A and B d. neither A nor B Q12. Consider following statements about Navara Rice 1. It is a green colored rice having anti-cancer properties. 2. grown in Mizoram 3. enjoys GI status Correct statements: A. Only 1 B. Only 1 and 2 C. Only 2 and 3 D. Only 3 Q13. Consider following statements 1. Tachycardia is a condition where heart beats at lower rate than 72 beats per minute. 2. Kala-Azar is a viral disease spread via sand fly 3. Human appendix is an example of non-vestigle organ Which of them are incorrect? A. only 1 and 2 B. only 1 and 3 C. only 2 and 3 D. All of them. Q14. Consider following statements about Rabies 1. Only the mammals from dog family (Canis lupus familiaris) can spread rabies virus. 2. In humans, rabies virus decreases salivation and induces hydrophobia. 3. Jonas Salk had developed vaccine against Rabies. 4. Even if a rabid dog licks intact human skin, the person must get rabies vaccine shots. Correct Statements are: A. only 1 B. only 1 and 2 C. only 2 and 3 D. None Q15. Which of the following is/are capable of spreading rabies? 1. Raccoons 2. bats 3. dogs 4. cats Answer choice A. only 3 B. only 1 and 3 C. only 2 and 3 D. All of them Mains 5marks 1. Trombay Crop varieties 2. Navara Rice 3. Sea Ranching 4. B.Sc (Community Health) 5. Mycidac-C 6. Xpert MTB 7. Regenerative medicine 12marks 1. Write a note on the community health care initiatives by Government of India. 2. Discuss the salient features and limitations of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013. 3. What are the salient features Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP). Suggest improvements to make RNTCP more effective. [Sci-Tech]TheHindu Sep-Oct-Nov(Part3of4): Computer/IT/Mobile Tech: Gecko, Street View Trekker, Param Yuva, EMF Radiation 1. Prologue 2. ICT for Public welfare 1. #1: C-DAC mobile app for womens safety 2. #2 VithU App 3. #3: Google for Indian women 4. #4: Google to defend freedom of expression 5. #5: Street View Trekker 6. #6: Param Yuva II 3. ICT: new Technology by Indians 1. #1: Gecko: Bluetooth device 2. #2: Zendrive 3. #3: ZoomCar Pvt. Ltd 4. ICT: Government Rules/Policy 1. #1: EMF radiation limit 1. Electromagnetic field (EMF) 2. Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) 3. Electromagnetic spectrum 4. Mobile Frequencies 5. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) 6. Mobile towers- radiation limits 2. #2: Preferential market access (PMA) policy 3. #3: IT Potential in Africa 5. IT: Misc. 6. Mock Questions 7. Mains Prologue So far Part 1 of 4: Environment-Biodiversity Part 2 of 4: Agriculture and Healthcare Part 3 of 4: IT/Computers related (youre here) Part 4 of 4: Space and defense related (Coming in a few hours) ICT for Public welfare #1: C-DAC mobile app for womens safety C-DAC=Centre for Development of Advanced Computing under Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) Made new mobile app for women. Just by presing a button on the phone- the women in distress can send automatic message to nearest police control room. Then police can track the women based on her mobile location- send nearby PCR van etc. Pilot project in Rajasthan. financed by Nirbhaya fund but What is Nirbhaya fund? In 2013s budget, Chindu came up with two new initiatives for women 1. all India bank for women 2. Nirbhaya fund. (Named after Delhi rape victim Nirbhaya) This Nirbhaya fund has 1000 crore rupees- to support women centric projects by government and NGOs. #2 VithU App VithU, is an emergency App for mobile phones. (you may have seen its ad on TV) App launched by Channel V (of Star India pvt. ltd.) in response to Delhi and Bombay gangrape incidents With only 2 clicks of the power button, person can send SOS message to their guardian along with location on google maps. App keeps sending the message repeatedly every two minutes with new location updates. Limitation: Phone must have GPS+ internet connection. #3: Google for Indian women Only 1/3rd of Indian internet users are women. Google India came up with new project to get 50 million Indian women online by the end of 2014. How? 1. Via a new website hwgo.com. This website will provide very basics of the Internet, special content for women like childcare, cooking recipes, household management etc . 2. Available in Hindi + English. (Similarly, Intel designed a mobile app easy step to promote digital literacy) 3. Toll free helpline number where women can call and get free answers about internet/computer. (1800 41 999 77) 4. A pilot project in Rajasthan to train computer-net surfing to 1 lakh women. Benefits: New opportunity for women to get education, freedom of expression and self- esteem. Ultimately Less MMR and IMR Higher GDP and HDI #4: Google to defend freedom of expression Google funded following projects to fight against online barriers Project shield to protect websites against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Google gave money to defend websites related to independent newsreporters, human rights, and elections-related bloggers (whom hackers/secret government spy agencies try to shut down) Digital Attack Map is a live data visualization to map DDoS attacks across globe. shows real-time anonymous traffic data related to these attacks. uProxy is a new browser extension under development lets friends provide each other with a trusted pathway to the web- thus protects your net surfing from filtering, surveillance or misdirection. #5: Street View Trekker wearable backpack with a camera installed at the top Camera has 15 lenses, takes picture every 2.5 seconds. The images are stiched together with software= you get a 360 degree view of the location. For streetviews (under google maps) they mount this camera on top of a car. but @certain places like ancient monuments or natural sites, the car cannot go. and person has to take this camera on foot. why in news? Because Google India and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) announced partnership to create 360-degree online imagery of 100 most important heritage including Taj Mahal, Khajuraho, Qutub Minar, Humayuns Tomb and Ajanta and Ellora caves. will help people virtually visit those site. Concept already used for Grand Canyon in the US and Mt Fuji in Japan. click me to see Speaking of monuments and culture Kittur Utsav- 2013 In Karnataka to celebrate the historical revolt of Rani Chennamma. She was queen of Kittur in N.Karnata, fought against the British in 1824. Janapada Kalavahini: Cultural procession showing traditional art forms of north Karnataka region. Ayyappan Theeyyattu Ayyappan Theeyyattu is an age old temple art form from Kerala. There are no training schools and it is practised and propagated by a handful of members of a few families known as Thiyyadi Nambiars, Udayasthamanakoothu: performance of the art in full by a single performer that ends with breaking of 12,000 coconuts. Bidar Bidar is a city of Karnataka. In the 1400s, it was the capital of Bahamani kingdom. Bahamani kings used Persian style to construct the palace, water system etc. here The karez water system= a complex system of aqueducts used for agricultural irrigation. has three national monuments Bidar Fort, Ashtur tombs and the Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan ok but why in news? World Monuments Fund (WMF) gave ca$H to Following desi monuments: 1. Bidar in Karnataka 2. house of Sheikh Salim Chisti in Fatehpur Sikri, 3. Juna Mahal in Rajasthan PIN 110201 this has nothing to do with Sci-tech or Culture. but came across while going through Thursday newspaper. Department of Posts has given this separate PIN code 110201 for the Supreme Court of India. before this PIN: letter to SC=>sorting office => delivery post office=>reaches to SC. After: letter to SC=>sorting office=>directly reaches SC. Benefit? faster delivery + cost savings for post office Soon, Separate PIN codes for High courts as well. anyways back to the topic: IT topic. #6: Param Yuva II super computer by C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) launched in early 2013 capacity: 524 teraflops but consumes 35% less electricity than other supercomputers of same capacity. Uses? 1. Precise weather forecast 2. faster tapping of natural resources in the sea 3. design customised drugs for individuals 4. solve large and complex computational problems Ok but why in News? This supercomputer has been ranked in the list of top 500 Green supercomputers in the world. In terms of Power efficiency, Params ranking: 1 st in India, 9 th in Asia-Pacific and 44 th in world IT: new Technology by Indians #1: Gecko: Bluetooth device Gecko is a Bluetooth device- size just little bigger than a coin. by Banglore based startup company. it also has an accelerometer sensor to detect motion. You can pair it with an apple or android phone/device. ok but whats the use? 1. Since it can detect motion- you put it in the doorknob- everytime someone opens door, itll notify you on phone. If someone opens door at odd hours- say 2AM, it can make your phone raise the burglar alarm. 2. similarly can be put in a pillbox- to ensure the person doesnt forget to take medicine. (if he forgets=pillbox doesnt move=gecko sends remainder via phone) 3. you can even pair it with a camera- once you can get in the frame, wave your arm and Gecko will trigger the camera to shoot photo Why in news? because Apples co-founder Steve Wozniak gave funding. #2: Zendrive Another startup company- one of its founder from India- Pankaj Risbood. Zendrive aims to make driving better by using data from smartphone sensors. insurance companies can use its data to determine auto-insurance premium e.g. if person has erratic driving habit=more likely to accident=should be charged higher insurance premium. Similarly, Parents could also use the system to track their teenagers driving habits. Determining best route based on real time traffic data and so on. Why in news? Because Jerry Yang (of Yahoo) gave funding to them. #3: ZoomCar Pvt. Ltd This is Indias first and only car-sharing company (similar to Zipcar in the US). allows individuals to hire cars by the hour or by the day. You can rent a car as low as Rs 225 an hour- for personal driving. (you must be minimum 23 years old) Reservations are made through the website or through mobile. If you get in car accident- they coordinate everything with the police, insurance, and road-side assistance. Available only in Bangalore at the moment. Why in news? Because former US treasury secretary Larry Summers gave funding to this startup company. IT: Government Rules/Policy #1: EMF radiation limit DoT (Department of Telecom) panel has recommended 10 lakh fine if cell tower violates EMF (electro magnetic field) radiation limits. (0.45 watts per sq metre) More background news covered in an earlier article: click me Lets check the theory Electromagnetic field (EMF) as the name suggests: Electrical field + Magnetic Field= Electromagnetic field (EMF) EMF is created when electric and magnetic waves travel to space together. for example: electricity supply, radio waves from TV, radio devices, medical devices mobile phones, radar and satellite communications. EMF strength is measured in units watt per square meter(W/m 2 ). EMF radiation weakens very quickly as we move away from the source / antenna. EMF strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. e.g. when distance from antenna doubles (2x) the EMF strength is reduced to (1/4)th Similarly when distance 3times (3x), strength reduced to 1/9 th . Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Its source can be of two types natural manmade UV, visible light radio, TV, mobile phones etc. we can further classify electromagnetic radiation based on can they ionize (and hence damage) biological molecules? Non Ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation 1. mobile handsets and antenna 2. radiation from visible light 3. infra-red radiation 1. X-ray radiation 2. gamma ray radiations has relatively low energy and low frequency relatively higher cant break chemical bonds in body cells. cant cause ionization of atoms and molecules. cant damage DNA Can do those damages. Electromagnetic spectrum Observe following photo-From left to right: frequency increases and wavelength decreases.
Mobile Frequencies mobile handset frequency CDMA 869 890 MHz GSM900 935 960 MHz GSM1800 1805 1880 MHz 3G 2110 2170 MHz 4G 2300-2400 MHz Observe frequency increases with new technology. Meaning wavelength must decrease. Speaking of mobile phones A mobile phone is two way radio. It contains a transmitter and a receiver. It emits electromagnetic radiation to exchange information with nearest base station. but the strength of electromagnetic field decreases rapidly as we move away from source- so we need to setup more and more mobile towers to have good connectivity. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) It is the Rate at which Radio Frequency energy is absorbed in the human body Unit of SAR = watts per kilo gram (W/kg) of tissue. Every model of mobile handset has specific SAR value. SAR Limit in India: 1.6 w/kg (effective from Sep.2012) SAR matter falls under Department of Telecom. myth fact It is safer using a mobile from car because the car shields from the radiation. Mobile phone generates more RF radiation to overcome the shielding of car and reach the tower. so infact, using phone while in car=more harmful. mobile phone emits radiation only when you are talking with someone. As long as mobile is on it automatically transmits Radio frequency signal to check (poll) the network with nearest tower. it doesnt matter where youre talking or not. Mobile Base stations are dangerous and we should keep distance from it. We need to keep distance from the antenna of base station.At the ground level, the radiation intensity is much lesser than @Antenna. Metal & water are good conductors of radio waves so avoid using a mobile phone while wearing metal-framed glasses or having wet hair People having active medical implants should preferably keep the cell phone at least 15 cm away from the implant Mobile towers- radiation limits for mobile phones, Telecom department has prescribed SAR limits (1.6 w/kg) similarly for Mobile towers, Telecom department has prescribed EMF radiation limits: Nation EMF limit for mobile towers India 0.45 watt/m 2
China 0.9 watt/m 2
Italy 0.1 watt/m 2
Even Italians are more conscious about mobile tower radiation than India/China. Anyways, if a mobile tower operator doesnt comply with this limit, hell have to pay 10 lakh rupees fine per tower. Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) under Department of Telecom measures these radiation levels. UV radiation: three types Ultra violate light (UV) has three subtypes based on their wavelength Shorter the wavelength=more dangerous for body. UVA wavelength longest among 3 Majority of UV radiation coming to earth, is of this type. UVB medium As Ozone layer depletes, more and more of this UVB light incoming. It cannot penetrate beyond skin layer. Hence does all its damage to skin itself e.g. tanning, burning, skin cancer. UVC shortest among 3 but doesnt reach earths surface. Most damaging- upto cells DNA. Artificial UVC lights used in food/medical/pharma industry to kill germs. #2: Preferential market access (PMA) policy By Department of Electronics and IT (DEITY) PMA policy makes it mandatory for the government and private companies to procure a certain percentage of its requirements from desi manufacturers. This was opposed by American companies including Apple. Now government revising this policy to give some exemption to private companies And limit to the scope of PMA policy to only the supply of electronic and telecom equipment that has security implications. #3: IT Potential in Africa Nothing sci-tech but some fodder material: Scope of Indian IT Companies in Africa because of following reasons: 1. Most of the African countries are seeing political stability and better economic growth than ever before. 2. Indian companies can create digital infrastructure for in e-governance, e- banking, e-learning- especially for maths+science. 3. IIT Delhi actively involved in the training, particularly vocational training and training of teachers in some African countries. 4. Nearly 30% Of Africas demand for CRT, picture tubes, inverters, radios, sound equipment, medical equipment, etc. is met from India imports. 5. Indian government setting up IT parks and other ICT related activities in a number of African countries like Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania. IT: Misc. chromebook it is a netbook, but instead of Microsoft windows, it runs on googles chrome operating system. (OS) Snapchat photo messaging system. you take a picture, send it to friend. itll automatically disappear from his phone after 24 hours. American teenagers like this. Mark Zukerburg (facebook) wants to bring them to facebook- hence offered 3 billion $ cash to snapchat maker, but he refused. Windows 8.1 Its a patch released by Microsoft to add new features in the existing Window8 Operating system Yahoo Lookflow=Yahoo bought this company, to provide image recognition facility in Yahoos photo website flickrTumblr=Yahoo bought this blogging companyMarissa Mayaer=Yahoos female CEO. Mock Questions 1. Arrange the given mobile phones in the ascending order of the frequency they use: (1) 3G (2) GSM (3) CDMA a. 123 b. 321 c. 213 d. All work on same frequency 2. Arrange these in ascending order of wavelength (1) Visible Light (2) Gamma Rays (3) Radiowaves (4) Microwaves a. 1234 b. 4321 c. 1243 d. 2143 Q3.Consider following statements 1. Rani Chennamma was the queen of Southern Kerala. 2. Rani Chennamaa was a contemporary of Rani Gaidinliu. 3. Both Rani Chennamma and Rani Gaidinliu had fought against the British. Correct Statement(s) A. Only 1 B. Only 2 and 3 C. Only 1 and 3 D. Only 3 Q4. Consider following statements 1. Bidar fort is located in Balasore, Odisha. 2. Bidar was once the capital of Bahmani kings 3. Bahmani architecture is influenced by Persian style. Correct Statement(s) A. Only 1 B. Only 2 and 3 C. Only 1 and 3 D. Only 3 Q5. Consider following statements 1. SAR is the rate at which base tower receives signals from mobile phones in the given cell region. 2. In India, SAR limit for mobile phones is 0.45 watts/sq.meter 3. The SAR and EMF radiation limits are administered by Ministry of Environment and Forest Correct statements A. Only 1 and 2 B. Only 2 and 3 C. only 1 and 3 D. None Mains 5 marks 1. Nirbhaya Fund 2. VithU App 3. Street View Trekker 4. Kittur Utsav 5. Ayyappan Theeyyattu 6. Bidar Fort 7. Rani Chennamma 8. Ayyappan Theeyyattu 9. Param Yuva II 10. Gecko Bluetooth device 11. Zendrive 12. Preferential market access (PMA) policy 12marks 1. Discuss the significance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for empowerment and safety of women. 2. Write a brief note about any five women freedom fighters of India- except Rani Laxmibai, Annie Besant, Meeraben, Kasturba and Sarojini Naidu.