Syllabus

14 June 2025 15:02

11. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
12. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
13. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to
intellectual property rights.

Science and Tech Page 1

 Nanotechnology
• Nano
• Nanoscale
• The term nanotechnology was first used by Tokyo scientist Nario Taniguchi in 1974.
• Dr. Eric Dexter explore the technological significance of nanoscale in his book
"Engine of Creation
• Nanotechnology is the study of extremely small structure in the physical size range of 1 - 100 nm
or anything made by specifically placing materials atom by atom which finds multi-disciplinary area
of application namely agriculture, energy, electronics, medicine, health care, textile, etc.

Types of Nanoparticles
On the basis of dimension
1. 0 - Dimension
▪ Nanodots
▪ Quantum dots
2. 1 - D
▪ Carbon nanotubes
▪ Nanowires
▪ Nanorods
3. 2 - D
▪ Nanosheet

On the basis of occurrence

1. Natural nanomaterials
▪ DNA
▪ RNA
2. Artificial nanomaterials
▪ Graphene (carbon nanotube)
▪ Gold nanoparticle
▪ Silver nanoparticle
▪ Nanobots

3. Properties of Graphene
▪ Excellent conductor
▪ Very high tensile strength
▪ Very light weight

Application of Nanotechnology
1. Healthcare & Medicine

Science and Tech Page 2

1. Healthcare & Medicine
○ Disease Diagnosis
▪ Nanoscale diagnostic devices (nano sensors) are more efficient to detect disease
causing microbes even disease like cancers.
○ Drug Delivery
▪ Nanobots can carry drugs and it can target directly to the cancer cells and can
destroy without affecting other healthy cells in the treatment of cancers.
▪ It is known as targeted drug delivery system.
▪ Implanted nanotechnology device like pacemaker can be used in chronic diseases of heart.
○ Tissue Engineering
▪ Nanotechnology makes use of biodegradable polymer such as polycaprolactone
coated with collagen to promote the wound healing process and to repair damaged tissue.
○ Cancer treatment
▪ Nanotechnology can locate and eliminate cancer cells using gold nanoparticles by
attaching antibodies to the surface of gold nanoparticles.
○ Nanobots
▪ Nanobots can act as miniature surgeons which can navigate the human body and
repair or replace damaged cells.

2. Electronics
○ Tiny transistors of CNTs which help in developing nanocircuits to further miniaturization
of computer and other electronic devices.
○ In the improvement of efficiency of solar cell by using semiconductor nanoparticles.

○ Energy Storing Device

▪ Nanotechnology can be used to make super capacitors.
▪ With the help of super capacitors, very efficient and high capacity energy
storage batteries can be made.
▪ With the help of nanotechnology extremely high pixelated and very sensitive
touchscreen display can be made.

3. Textile Sector
○ Nanofibers making clothes water and stain repellent or wrinkle free cloth.

4. Food and Agriculture

○ Anti-microbial nano emulsions used for decontamination of food equipment, packaging
of food, etc.
○ Anti-bacterial silver nanoparticles used for increasing the shelf life of agricultural products.
○ Bioindicators (nano sensors) to detect the biomagnification of pesticides and fertilizers.
○ Used of nano fertilizers like nano urea and nano micro and macro nutrients.
○ Bioconjugate (capsules) nanoparticles for slow release of nutrients to enhance the
agricultural productivity.

5. Water Treatment and Remediation

○ Nanomembranes for water purification, desalination and detoxification.
○ Nano sensors for the detection of contaminants and pathogens.

Science and Tech Page 3

 6. Environment
○ For combating climate change by developing nanomaterials which can effectively
help to reduce the carbon dioxide in the air.
○ For controlling the pollution genetically engineered oil zappers are developed with
the help of narrow technology for cleaning oil spills on the surface of oceans.
○ Nano sensors can be used for identifying pollutants and contaminants from industrial exhausts.

Challenges/Implications of Nanotechnology
1. Human Health
○ Nanoparticles can easily enters inside the human body and gets absorbs on the
surface of tissues which may affect regulatory mechanics.

2. Ethical Concerns
○ Nanoparticles may be used in warfare or it can be used for invading people's privacy.

3. Nanoparticles can form new form of non-biodegradable pollutants which can be toxic.

4. Grey goo
○ It is a hypothetical situation where self-replicating nanorobots (nano assemblers)
go out of control which will further consume matter on earth.

Key Initiative by Govt. of India

1. Nano Science and Technology (NSTI) 2002
2. Mission on Nano Science and Technology 2007
3. Nano Electronics Council set up by Ministry of Information and Technology.

Science and Tech Page 4

 Indigenization of Technology
• Indigenisation of technology refers to the development, modification and self-reliance in
technological advancement within a nation.
• It can be done by : -
1. Research and Development
2. Through Reverse Engineering
3. By modification of existing technology obtained through the transfer of
technology agreements. (TOT)

Benefits of Indigenization of Technology

• Building self-reliance in the field of technology development which will further encourage
Research & Development within the country.
• It will boost domestic manufacturing in terms of manufacturing of parts or components of
equipment.
• It leads to the creation of jobs and employment opportunities.
• It expands global markets for Indian technologies worldwide.

Challenges of Indigenization of Technology

1. Global Challenges
○ Intellectual Property Rights Restrictions
○ Geopolitical situations affect transfer of technology.
○ Restrictive trade regimes such as NSG, MTCR, etc. prevent TOT to the non-member countries.

2. National Challenges
○ Lack of policy support for indigenisation of technology.
○ Lack of funding for Research & Development.
○ Lack of expertise and trained professionals.
○ Lack of manufacturing ecosystem.
○ Lack of autonomy and bureaucratic delays. (Red Tapism)

Way Forward
• Indigenisation clause in TOT agreement.
• Proper policy framework for supporting technology indigenisation.
• Providing autonomy to the Research & Development institutions and industries.
• By focusing on training professionals to reduce skill gaps.
• Encouraging private participation and FDI in technological development.

Science and Tech Page 5

 Artificial Intelligence
History of Artificial Intelligence
• 1940s - 1950s
○ The roots of artificial intelligence can be traced back to the work of Alan Turing
who proposed the Turing test in 1950 to check machine behaviour or intelligence
as compared to human.

• 1956
○ Dartmouth Conference
▪ The term artificial intelligence was coined in this conference by John Mc Carthy.
▪ This event is considered as birth of artificial intelligence.

• 1960s
○ Symbolic Artificial Intelligence
▪ Symbolic artificial intelligence is programme like general problem solver.

• 1970s
○ Knowledge Repesentation and Expert System
▪ In the 1970s expert system aimed to emulate the decision making ability of a human.

• 1980s
○ Artificial intelligence winter and rise of neural networks.

• 1990s
○ Rise of machine learning.

• 2000s
○ Big data and deep learning.

• 2010s
○ Practical application of artificial intelligence.

• 2020s
○ Advancement in artificial intelligence and ethical concerns.

Artificial Intelligence
• Artificial intelligence refers to the development to machines or systems the can perform
task that typically require human intelligence.
• In other words artificial intelligence is advance algorithms for imparting intelligence to the
machine just like human being artificially.

Machine Learning
Science and Tech Page 6
Machine Learning
• Machine learning is a subset of AI that focuses om developing algorithms that enable machines
to learn patterns and make decisions based on data without being explicitly programmed.

Deep Learning
• It is a specialized subset of machine learning that involves neural networks with multiple layers.
• Deep learning enables machine to analyse large set of data (big data) on the basis od artificial
neural network.

Artificial Neural Network

• A neural network is a computational model inspired by the structure and functioning of the human
brain designed to recognise patterns.
• It is a fundamental component of deep learning.

Chatbot
• A chatbot is a computer programme designed to simulate conversations with human users
by using neural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques to understand
and respond to user queries.
Examples
○ Virtual assistants like
▪ Siri (Apple)
▪ Alexa (Amazon)
▪ Google assistant (Google)
▪ Ask Disha (IRCTC)

Generative AI
• It describes algorithms that can be used to create new content like audio, video, text, images,
simulations and code.
• It is achieved by training large language model (LLM) on large amount of data (big data) using
neural network and deep learning technique.
Examples
○ Chat GPT (Open AI)
○ Codex (Open AI)
○ Dall - E (Open AI)
○ Gemini (Google)
○ Copilot (Microsoft)
○ Apple Intelligence (Apple)
○ Deep Seek (China)
○ Grok (X)
○ Meta AI (Meta)

Large Language Model

• It is a type of AI algorithm that uses deep learning techniques and massively large data sets to
understand, summarise, generate and predict new contents.

Science and Tech Page 7

Deepfake
• It is a technique for manipulating audio, video and images by using advancement AI tools like
generating AI, in such a way that it seems realistic.

Application of Artificial Intelligence

1. Healthcare and Medicine
○ Diagnostic and treatment planning
▪ AI is used to analyse medical data, assist in disease diagnosis and recommend
personalized treatment plan.
○ Medicine Discovery
▪ AI accelerates the drug discovery process by analysing biological data.
2. Finance
○ Algorithm training, fraud detection in financial transactions.
3. Customer Service
○ AI powered chatbots and voice assistants can handle customer enquiries and can provide
instant responses.
4. Autonomous vehicles
○ Self-driving cars
▪ AI algorithms enable vehicle to perceive their environment and navigate without
human intervention.
5. Cyber Security
○ AI intensifies and response to cyber security threats by analysing patterns and anomalies
in network traffics.
6. Agriculture
○ Intelligent crop planning and precision agriculture
▪ Censor based smart agriculture leads to higher productivity and AI based logistic
platforms provide awake for the smart transportation of agricultural products.
7. Defence
○ AI based technologies can be used for border security and logistic services
Example: UAV

Challenges of Artificial Intelligence

1. Ethical Concerns
○ AI systems can inherit the biases present in training data leading to unfair or
discriminatory outcomes.
○ The inner workings of complex AI models can be difficult to interpret, raising
concerns about transparency and accountability.
○ Data privacy and security risks.
2. Lack of regulation and standards leading to potential risk in areas such as privacy, security
and accountability.
3. Job displacement and economy impact
○ The automation of certain task by AI may lead to job displacement in some industries.

Initiatives by Govt. of India

1. India AI Mission
○ Aim
▪ To establish an ecosystem for AI innovation through public - private partnership.
○ Nodal Ministry
▪ Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Funding

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 ○ Funding
▪ Public - Private Partnership Model
○ Implementing Agency
▪ India AI Independent Business Division under Digital India Corporation
○ Pillars of India AI Mission
▪ AI in governance
▪ AI computer and systems
▪ Data for AI
▪ AI intellectual property and innovation
2. National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence by Niti Aayog
3. National Artificial Intelligence Portal

Global Initiatives
1. Bletchley Declaration on AI Safety, 2023
○ Location
▪ London
○ 28 major countries including India participate in this summit.
○ First ever AI safety summit.
○ Main focus area
▪ Ethical use of AI and the regulation of AI at global level.
○ Frontier AI
▪ It is defined as highly capable foundation generative AI models that can
produce realistic and convincing outputs.
2. Paris AI Summit, 2025
○ Latest and third summit.
○ India & France co - chaired this summit.

Global Partnership on AI
1. Global India AI Summit, 2024
2. Europeans Unions AI Act
○ World's first comprehensive AI Law

Science and Tech Page 9

 Robotics
• Robotics is a multi-disciplinary field that involves the design construction, operation
and use of robots.

Robot
• Robot is a programmable, autonomous or semi-autonomous machines that is capable
of carrying task or operations in the physical world.

Components of Robot

Rules of Robotics
1. Robots may not injure a human being.
2. Robot must obey the orders given it by human beings.
○ Except orders would not conflict with the first law.
3. Robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with 1st and 2nd law.

Types of Robots
1. On the basis of motion
○ Stationary/static
○ Mobile/dynamic
2. On the basis of control
○ Fully controlled robot
○ Semi controlled robot
○ Fully automated robot
3. On the basis of application
○ Industrial robot
○ Space robot
○ Domestic robot
○ Military robot
○ Medical robot
4. Humanoid robot designed to look like human beings

Application of Robots
1. Industry
○ Cutting and welding operations
○ Car assembly unit
○ Labelling and bottling
2. Hazardous occupation
Deep sea exploration

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 ○ Deep sea exploration
○ Space exploration by using ROV (remote operative vehicle)
○ Study of creators
▪ Nuclear waste handling
3. Healthcare and medicine
○ Robotic surgery
▪ Precise cutting
○ Use of nanobots and nano sensors for disease diagnosis and targeted drug delivery
system specifically in terms of cancer treatment.
4. Disaster management
○ Search and rescue operations.
○ Recovery and reinstallations.
5. Defence
○ Use of robotic soldier
○ Use of UAV and UGV for border security.
○ Daksha
6. Domestic application
○ House security
○ House cleaning
○ To provide assistance to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
7. Agriculture
○ For monitoring the corps (by using drones)
○ Smart pest management with the help of smart sensors.

Initiatives
1. Draft National Strategy for Robotics by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
2. Center for Advanced Manufacturing for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CAMRAS)

Some Important Robots

1. Vyomitra
○
○ India's first robo - astronaut
○ Half humanoid female robot
2. Sophia
○ Designed and developed by Hanson Robotics
○ It is an advanced AI female humanoid robot.
○ She got the citizenship of Saudi Arabia in 2017.
3. Optimus Generation 3.0
○ Designed and developed by tesla.
○ Advance humanoid robot.
4. Evolution
○ Designed and developed by Unitree
○ World's fastest by pedal humanoid robots.

Degree of Freedom
• In robotics the term degree of freedom refers to the no. of independent parameters
or motions that defines the configuration of a robot.

Brain Computer Interface BCI

• A system that determines functional intent
or interact in our environment, directly from brain activity.
• BCI allows controlling and application on a device using only our mind.

Application of BCI
Helping people with physical disabilities and ageing.

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 ○ Helping people with physical disabilities and ageing.
○ Treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's disease.
○ It can be used as neuro feedback training tool.

Concerns of BCI
○ Vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
○ It may influence other brain functions.

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 It and Computers
16 June 2025 16:04

Quantum Technology
• It is an emerging field powered by the principles defined by quantum physics, a sub field of physics that explores
the nature and energy on the atomic and sub - atomic level.

Quantum Computing
• It is based on quantum technology.
• The smallest processing unit for quantum computer is Qubit (Quantum bit) which is a combination state of 0 and 1.

Principle of Quantum Technology/Computing

1. Quantum super - position
○ It is the ability of the quantum particle to be in multiple state at the same time.
Qubit

2. Quantum entanglement
○ It refers to a situation in which two or more quantum particle are linked in such a way that it is impossible
for them to be described.
○ Independently, it means state of 1 quantum bit depends on the state other linked quantum bit.

Application of Quantum
1. Quantum communication
○ Quantum communication is a highly secure link or communication channel that leverage loss of quantum
physics to protect data and make it more secure than traditional transmission.
Quantum key distribution
○ It is a secure technology that uses quantum physic to construct a crypto - graphic protocol.
2. Quantum sensing and metrology.
3. For solving complex computational problem.
4. For quantum simulation of materials.

Key Initiatives
• National Quantum Mission (2023 - 31)
○ Aims to seed nature and scale up scientific and industrial research and development and create a vibrant
ecosystem in quantum technology.
○ Implement agency
Target
▪ Developing intermediate scale quantum computers.
▪ To established satellite based secure communication over a range of 2000 km.
Application area
▪ Magneto metre in high sensitivity in atomic system.
▪ Atomic clocks for precision timing communication and navigation.
▪ Design and synthesis of quantum materials.
▪ Photon detectors and entangle photon sources for quantum communication.
Challenges
▪ Difficulty in achieving and maintaining quantum superposition and entanglement.
▪ Absence of indigenous development of critical quantum components.
▪ Spending on research and development is about 0.64% of GDP.

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 • National Mission on Quantum Technology and Application (NMQTA)
• Quantum Frontier Mission

Blockchain Technology
• Blockchain is a shared decentralized ledger that facilitates the process of recording transaction and tracking
assets in a business network.
• Block
Significance/Application
○ E - governance
▪ Keeping record of digital birth, death, education certificate, laid record management, etc.
○ Banking
▪ When blockchain is utilised in banking system, it reduces cross border transaction fees and also
makes system more transparent and secure.
○ Healthcare
▪ It can be utilised for managing the patient records, data from research and development of drugs
and vaccine, etc.
○ Crypto currency
▪ Crypto mining is the process that several crypto currency is used to generate new coin and verify
and process new transaction.
▪ It involves vast decentralized network of computer around the world that verified and secure blockchain.
▪ Crypto currency is a form of digital currency created by crypto mine.
▪ E.g. Bit coin (BTC)
Key initiative
○ Nation Strategy on Blockchain, 2021 launched by Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology.
○ India's first blockchain district has been established in Telangana.
○ Established National Blockchain Framework under National Strategy of Blockchain.

Super Computer
• A high performance computing system that delivers exceptional processing power and computational capacity
compared to a general purpose computer.
• Performance of super computer is measured in floating point operation per sec (FLOPS) instead of million
instructions per sec (MIPS).
• Super computer is based on the principle of parallel processing.
• It contains 1000 of processor working parallelly and can perform billions and trillions of calculation or
computation per second.
Development of super computer in India
○ 1988
○ CDAC started to developed PARAM Seri's.
○ 1991
Latest super computer of India
○ AIRAWAT
○ PARAM SIDDHI - AI
○ PARAM RUDHA
○ PRATYUSH
○ MIHIR
Application of super computer
a. Weather forecasting
b. Early warning system
c. Health and medicine
d. Defence and monitoring
e. For cutting edge research in case of modern technology like AI, robotics, quantum technology, etc.
National Super Computing Mission - 2015
○ Goal

Communication Technology
• Wireless

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 • Wireless
○ WIFI
○ Bluetooth
○ WiMAX
○ NFC
○ RFID
○ LIFI
○ VLC
• Wired
○ Dial up connection
○ Digital subscriber line (DSL) connection
○ Broadband communication

Mobile Communication
• Radio wave
• Technique
Generation of mobile communication
GSM
○ 1g (1980s)
○ 2g (1990)
▪ Voice + text
▪
▪
○ 3g (2000)
▪ Voice + text + multimedia (fast internet)
LTE
○ 4g (2010)
▪ 4G LTE (Voice + text + multimedia + home multimedia + mobile broadband)
VOLTE
○ 5g (2019)
▪ Latest mobile communication generation
5th generation mobile communication
○ It is design to address speed, latency and utility issue of earlier generation of mobile networks.
○ It works in 3 bands namely
▪ Low
▪ Mid high frequency
▪ Spectrum
3 Bands
○ Low bands (long range)
▪ 1 GHz
○ Mid bands
▪ 1 - 2.6 GHZ 3.5 - 6 GHz
○ High bands (short range)
▪ 24 GHz - 40 GHz
Significance of 5g
a. Economic growth
▪ India's 5G network economy is predicted to contribute $450 billion to the GDP by 2035, enabling
industries to become smarter and more competitive globally.
b. Employment opportunities
▪ 5g technology creates job opportunities in the field of agriculture, health, education, infrastructure
and logistic.
c. 5g technology also internet of things which leads to establishment of smart cities, smart house, smart grid, etc.
d. It improves ease of doing business in the country.
Challenges
○ Hardware challenge

BHARAT 6G Mission
• Govt. of India releases Bharat 6G vision document which eyes 6G services role out by 2030 in India.
• This vision document is prepared by the tech innovation group (TIG - 6G) constituted in 2021 by Dept. of

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 • This vision document is prepared by the tech innovation group (TIG - 6G) constituted in 2021 by Dept. of
Telecommunication.
• This mission will be divided into two phases -
○ Phase I
○ Phase II
Pillars of 6G Mission
○ Digital Inclusion and Equity:
Ensuring widespread access to 6G technology and its benefits, bridging the digital divide and promoting
equitable participation in the digital world.
○ Sovereignty and Security:
Developing 6G technologies with a focus on national security and independence, ensuring control over
critical infrastructure and data.
○ Economic Growth and Innovation:
Fostering a thriving 6G ecosystem that drives economic growth, innovation, and technological advancements.
○ Environmental Sustainability:
Developing 6G technologies with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and minimizing environmental impact.
○ Global Leadership:
Positioning India as a key player in the global 6G landscape, contributing to the development and deployment
of 6G technologies.

 The key focus of the this mission will be on new technologies such as Terahertz communication, tactile internet,
artificial intelligence for connected intelligence and new encoding method.
 5G
 6G

5G Technology
• Network slicing
• Multiple small cell network
• Massive MIMO (Multiple Input/Output)
• Bean forwarding

Satellite Broadband Internet Connection

• It is a wireless internet connection which uses satellite in space to get internet signal from the internet service
provider (ISP) to user.
• The frequency bank for satellite communication is between 27.5 GHz - 29.9 GHz globally.
• For this communication satellite need to be placed at low earth orbit (LEO), medium earth orbit (MEO) and Geo -
stationary orbit (GEO) to provide internet service.
Advantages
○ Provides internet communication in rural and remote areas.
○ It can provide global coverage in terms of internet communication.
○ Easier to establish transmission link with a satellite.
Limitation/Disadvantage
○ Satellite launching requires huge amount of funding.
○ High number of satellite launching leads to frequent coalition in the space which will further leads to higher
concentration of space debris.
○ It is slower than broadband communication using optical fibre.
○ Communication can be disrupted due to weather pattern.
○ Higher latency in communication.

3D Printing
• 3D printing technology (Additive manufacturing) is the technology that construct a 3 dimensional object from a
digital 3D model by adding material layer by layer.
Application/Significance
○ Electronic industries
▪ Smart variable devices component of the robot and other electronic devices is getting manufacturing
by 3D printing technology.
○ Automative
▪ Manufacturing of engine components.

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 ▪ Manufacturing of engine components.
○ Arrow space and defence
▪ Manufacturing of components of missile engine of launching vehicle.
▪ Note

Construction/Building Construction
Key initiative
○ National strategy for altitude manufacturing 2022 by Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology.
○ National Centre for altitude manufacturing set up by (MeitY) in collaboration with Telangana.
Challenges
○ Limited materials
○ Initial investment in equipment is quite high.

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 Biotechnology
• Area of biology that uses living processes, organisms or systems to manufacture products
intended to improve the quality of human life.

Branch of Biotechnology
1. Blue Biotechnology
○ Marine and aquatic application
2. Green Biotechnology
○ Agricultural processes
3. Red Biotechnology
○ Medical applications
4. White Biotechnology
○ Industrial processes
5. Yellow Biotechnology
○ Focuses on food production

Gene Editing
• It is a way of making specific changes to the DNA of a cell or organism.
This allows genetic material to be added, removed or altered at particular locations in the Geno.

Significance of Gene Editing

1. Treatment of diseases like leukaemia, rectification of genetic disorder, etc.
2. Bio - fortification for improvement in nutritional value of crop.
Example: Golden rice which is rich in Vit - A.
3. Biodiversity preservation using tissue culture.
4. Gene therapy for the treatment of diseases.

CRISPR - CAS - 9
○ Tool for gene editing.
○ Clustered Regularly Inter - Spaced Short Palindromic Repeats CAS - 9 is used to modify gene
function, to change genetic code or edit DNA at particular location.

Working of CRISPR CAS - 9

○ The CAS - 9 protein forms a complex with guide RNA in a cell.
○ This complex attaches to a matching genomic DNA sequence.
○ The CAS - 9 RNA complex cuts the strands of the DNA.
○ Programme DNA may be inserted at the cut.

Genetically Modified Crop

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Genetically Modified Crop
• It is a plant developed through genetic engineering where DNA from other organisms
is introduced to alter its natural genetic makeup.
• This process can be used to enhance traits like disease resistance, higher ill, stress tolerance, etc.
• The safety aspects of GM Crops are assessed by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
(GEAC) which is an apex body created under Environmental Protection Act, 1986 and Rules 1989.
• Bt. Cotton is the only GM Crop approved for commercial cultivation in the country.

Bt. Cotton
Bt.

Cry gene

Cry protein Bt. cotton crop

toxic Pest resistant (High Yield)

○ Bt. Cotton is made by a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis that produces a toxic chemical
(cry protein) which act as insecticides to bull worm and makes a plant high yield pest resistant.

GM Mustard
Ba

▪ GM Mustard (DMH - 11) was created by genetic engineering department of Delhi University
by adding 3 genes of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in DNA of natural mustard.
▪ DMH - 11 is a herbicide tolerant crop and having higher yield.

Dispute
▪ GM Mustard requires almost double the amount of water and fertilizers.
▪ It encourages the use herbicides.
▪ It can show allergic reactions in human body when someone consumes it.

Advantage of GM Crop
○ Higher yield
○ Disease resistant
○ Stress tolerance
○ Herbicide resistant

Disadvantages of GM Crop
○ It can show allergic reaction (health issue)
○ Can create disturbance in ecosystem.
○ Can destroy local biodiversity.

Transgenic Animals
• Transgenic animals are genetically modified animals for desired traits such as higher milk yield,
Woll yield and meat yield.

1. Transgenic cow
2. Transgenic sheep

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 2. Transgenic sheep

Genetically Modified Organisms

• If any living organisms whose genetic material has been modified to include contain
desirable characters.
Example:
○ Oil zappers which are genetically microorganism which cleans oil spills on the surface of the ocean.

CAR - T Cell Therapy

• Chimeric Antigen Receptor - T Cell Therapy
• It is a type of cellular immune treatment that uses T cells that are genetically altered in a lab
to enable them to locate and destroy cancer cells more efficiently.
• NexCAR19 is India's first indigenous CAR T - therapy.

Working of CAR - T Cell

1. Blood is drawn from the patient to extract a type of WBC called T cells.
2. The T cells are genetically engineered in a lab by introducing Chimeric Antigen Receptors.
3. The engineered CAR - T Cells can now identified the cancer cells and latch on it and can destroy it.
4. The CAR - T Cells are multiplied in the lab and infused into the patient to attack and destroy cancer cell.

Application of Biotechnology
1. Agriculture
○ Increase crop productivity by designing genetically modified crop for higher yield.
○ Enhance crop production by making plant stress tolerant, disease resistant.
○ Improved nutritional value by the process biofortification.
Example: Golden rice (rich in Vit - A)
○ Genetically modified organisms for better soil productivity.
Example:
▪ Biofertilizers

2. Medicine or Healthcare
○ Prevention and early detection of diseases.
With the help of vaccines disease can be detected.
○ Curative therapies like gene therapy, stem cell therapy, CAR - T Cell therapy, for
the treatment of cancer, genetic disorder, etc.
○ For personalisation medicine with customised drug.
○ Genetically engineered insulin has become an essential treatment for managing diabetes.

3. Energy Sector

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 3. Energy Sector
○ Genetically modified organisms can be utilised in industry for the production of bio fuels.
Specifically genetically modified algae is used for production of bio fuels.

4. Environment
○ Bioremediation
▪ Use of genetically modified microorganism for the treatment of environmental pollutants.
Example: Oil zappers and Olivorous - S for cleaning the oil leakage on the surface of ocean.

5. Transgenic Animal
○ Transgenic animals for improving desired traits.
Example:
▪ Transgenic cow for higher yield milk.
▪ Transgenic fish for higher yield meat.

Challenges of Biotechnology
1. Ethical Concerns
○ There are many ethical concerns regarding biotechnology such as bio - piracy, designer baby,
human chemical trials and safety issues of GM Crops & GMOs.
○ Lack of regulatory mechanism.
○ Environmental consequences
▪ Unintended consequences on environment due to introduction of genetically modified crops.
2. Loss of traditional farming practices.
3. Human health concerns.

Initiatives by GOI
1. India's first Biological Data Center inaugurated in Faridabad, Haryana.
2. Higher budget allocation to promote R & D in the field of biotechnology.
3. 100% FDI under the automatic roof for green field projects.
4. National Pharma Bio Mission.
5. Atal Jai Anusandhan Bio - tech Mission

International initiatives
1. Environmental Protection Act, 1986
2. Biological Diversity Act, 2002
3. Cartagena Protocol on Bio - safety
4. Genetic Engineer Appraisal Committee

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 IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)
• Intellectual property is a collection of property that includes intangible creations of human intellect.
• In simple term it refers to creations of the mind such as inventions, literally and artistic works, design
and symbol, names and images used in commercial activity.
• Intellectual property rights means providing property rights through patents, copyrights and trademarks.

Need of IPR
1. To safeguard the rights of creators.
2. To encourage the creation of a wide variety of intellectual goods.
3. To strike the right balance between the interest of innovators and wider public interest.

Types of IPR
1. Copyright
○ Copyright is a bundle of rights given by the law to the creators of literally, dramatic, musical and
artistic work and the producers of cinematograph films and music.
○ Law
▪ Copyright Act, 1957

2. Patent
○ A patent is granted for inventions which is a new product or process.
○ Law
▪ Patent Act, 1970

3. Trademark
○ A trademark is typically a name, word phrase, logo, symbol, design, image or a combination
of these elements.
○ Law
▪ Trademark Act, 1970

4. Geographical Indication (GI)

○ It is a sign used or products that have a specific geographical origin and possesses qualities
or a reputation that are due to that origin.
○ Law
▪ Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act, 1999)

5. Designs
○ An industrial design may consist of three dimensional features such as patterns, lines or colours.
○ Law
▪ Design Act, 2000

6. Plant Variety Protection

○ This IPR given to the farmers and the plant breeders.
○ Law
▪ Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Right Act, 2001

7. Semi-Conductors and Integrated Layouts

○ It means a layout of transistors and other circuitry elements in semiconductor IC (integrated circuit)
○ Law
▪ Semi-Conductors and Integrated Layout Design Act, 2000

National IPR Policy, 2016

Objective
○ To create public awareness about the IPR and its benefit.
○ To stimulate the generation of IPR.
○ To have strong and effective legal and legislative framework.
To modernised and strengthens administration and management of IPR.

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 ○ To modernised and strengthens administration and management of IPR.
○ Commercialization of IPR
○ To strengthen the enforcement of adjudication for IPR infringements.
○ To strengthen and expand human resources in the field of IPR.

IPR Issues
1. Patent Evergreening Prevention
○ It is one of the most important IPR issues, challenges for multinational companies.
○ Evergreening is strategy for extending the term of granted patent which is about to expire
without increasing therapeutical efficacy in order to retain royalties.
○ As we know from the Novartis's Case the companies cannot evergreen their patent simply
by minor changes.
○ Section 3 (d) in the Indian Patent Act bars the grant of patent to new forms of substances
which discourage the multinational company's interests.

2. The Product Patent Process

○ A product patent protects a product. It offers high protection to the original inventor to reduce
the competition for the same product.
○ Whereas, process patent protects the process through which one manufactures the product &
not the product. It reduces the element of monopoly in the market.
○ As India is a part of the TRIPS agreement, the agreement requires all its members to shift their patent
regime from process to product patent.
○ This remains a challenge for India as process patent would be more helpful to a country like India.

3. Subsidies and IPR Issues

○ A major form of subsidies includes food, fertilizers, education subsidy.
○ For the complete implementation TRIPS agreement one needs to reduce or eliminate these subsidies.
○ Thus GOI needs to create a balance between providing subsidies and IP rights in India.

4. Protecting Traditional Knowledge

○ Traditional knowledge specially in the field of medicine is like a goldmine.
GOI is bound to protect traditional knowledge by not allowing MNCs to get
patents on traditional knowledge.
○ The Govt. has created a traditional knowledge digital library to prevent the patenting of
traditional knowledge. So this is one of the IPR issue in India.

5. Trademark Violation
○ India has very high level of trademark counterfeiting against which the authorities in India
to not take proper action.

6. Enforcement of IPR regulation is quite weak in the country because of two important reasons : -
○ India is key exporter of counterfeit products such as food stuffs, textiles, shoes, electronics, etc.
○ Judicial delays in IPR disputes.

7. India maintains high custom duty on IP intensive products which discourage the investment in the country.

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 Space Technology
Indian Space Policy, 2023
Vision
○ To augment space capabilities, developed or commercial presence in a space, use space as a
diver or technological development in the country.
Significance
○ Define specific roles for major stakeholders.
○ Collaborate globally in addressing global challenges.
○ It sets stage for India's extended participation in global space arena.
○ Facilitating technology transfer.

Stakeholder and Their Role

Govt
○ Research & Development
Non - Governmental Entities
○ Offer national and international space based communication services.
○ Establish and operate ground facilities for space based operation.
Example: Satellite control centres
Department of a space
○ Nodal department for implementation of the Indian Space Policy, 2023.
ISRO
○ Focus on research & development and share technologies with non - governmental entities.
IN - SPACe
○ Single window agency for the authorization of space activities by government.
NSIC
○ Commercializing space technologies and platform.

Private Sector Participation in Space

• Space startups increased to nearly 200 in 2024 from 1 in 2022.
Significance
▪ It reduces burden over issue.
▪ It enable shift from supply driven model to demand driven model.
▪ It will increased the space industry over the next 5 years.
▪ It will enhance India's share in global space economy.
Initiative
▪ Indian Space Policy, 2023
▪ Establishment of IN - SPACe and NSIL
▪ Budget 2024 - 25 announced Rs 1000 crore venture capital fund. This fund is for supporting the private
players.
Challenges
▪ Security and strategic concern.
□ A possible leak of confidential information.
▪ Increase in space debris.
▪ Multiplicity of regulation.

Historical Development of Space Technology in India

1962
○ Establishment of INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research)
1969
○ Reorganisation of INCOSPAR and establish as Indian Space Research Organisation (Bangalore)
1972
○ Space Commission & Department of Space was established.
1980
○ First artificial satellite Rohini (RS - 1) was launched with the launch vehicle. (SLV)

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Communication Satellites
INSAT/GSAT
○ Indian National Satellite System
Stakeholder
▪ Department of Space
▪ Department of Telecommunication
▪ Indian Meteorological Department
▪ Akash System
▪ Doo darshan
Application
▪ Television broadcasting
▪ FM broadcasting
▪ Search and rescue operation
▪ Mobile satellite service
▪ Telecommunication
▪ Weather information transmission
Examples of communication satellites
▪ EduSat (education satellite) launched in 2004
▪ GramSat
□ To connect capital of state to the district headquarters through satellite communication
channel.
▪ Village Resource Center (VRC)
□ Resource service in rural areas.

Indian Remote Sensing Satellites

• India is the 5th country in world in terms of development IRS.
Objectives
□ Development of natural resource management.
Application
▪ Weather forecasting, land mapping, identifying, mineral deposit, study geological structure,
geographical information system, forest survey, resource management.
Example:
▪ CARTOSAT (mapping)
▪ RESOURCE SAT (resource management)
▪ Megha tropics (waters sector)

Important Missions
Aditya L1 Mission
SOLAR SYSTEM

○ India's first solar probe for studying sun.

○ It is placed in the halo orbit around sun - earth LaGrange point 1 (L1)
○ It carries 7 payloads for studying the sun.
Objective

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 Objective
▪ To study the outermost layer of sun chromosphere and corona.
▪ To study the coronal mass ejection (CME) due to sudden mass activity of the sun.
▪ To study the solar winds and flares.
▪ To observe plasma particles for study of particle dynamics from the sun.
Chandrayaan - 3
○ It was the third lunar mission of ISRO.
Objective
▪ Demonstration of a safe and soft landing on the south pole of the lunar surface,
demonstration of rover roving on the moon and conduct in-situ scientific experiment.
Key findings
▪ Temperature profile of moon's surface.
▪ Presence of sulphur near south pole.
▪ Elements like aluminium, calcium, iron, etc were also detected.
▪ Thin plasma on the surface of the moon.

Gaganyaan Mission
Objective
▪ To demonstrate human space flight capability (3 member crew) to orbit 400 km for 3 day
mission and bringing them back safely to earth by landing in Indian sea water.
Significance
▪ To develop future technological capability.
▪ Indian space station will be an extension of the Gaganyaan programme.
▪ Stimulus to the space economy.
▪ Promotes international collaboration.
Robot Astronaut Vyomitra by ISRO
▪ Half human female robot
▪ To check the life support system during uncrewed mission.

Bhartiya Antriksh
○ Indian own space station.
○ Target year
○ First test of the proposal Bhartiya space station was successful conducted and talks are on with
the industry to manufacture, test and launch its first module by 2028.
Benefits
▪ Advancing scientific knowledge.
▪ Enhancing the nation prestige.
▪ Promoting global operation and peace.
Challenges
▪ Station building is a costly affairs.
▪ Need of expertise in human space flight.
▪ Upgrade needed in ISRO's technological infrastructure.

Development Role of ISRO

1. Food security and agriculture
○ With the help of IRS and communication satellite anyone can get précised and accurate
information of weather which can be helpful for crop planning and management.
Example
▪ FASAL
2. Rural development (VRCs)
○ Village resource centre, GRAMSAT are the satellites through which resources of rural areas can
managed efficiently.
3. Urban development
○ For proper land utilization on urban areas ISRO launched satellite data based with the help
of Bhuvan portal to manage and plan urban areas.
4. Water management
Satellite with AGROS & ALTIKA for proper management of water resources.

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 ○ Satellite with AGROS & ALTIKA for proper management of water resources.
5. Weather forecasting and disaster management
○ INSAT and earth observation satellite provides the data for weather forecasting and for
developing early warning system in case of disaster.
6. Planning and positioning

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