Science and Technology (S&T) Digest (16-31 March 2024), Issue 34

Dr Saroj Bishoyi, Research Fellow, VIF

April 5 , 2024 Views: 201 Comments: 0

In this Issue

I. Defence and Security

Induction of Helicopter Unit at Air Force Station Thanjavur

Southern Air Command (SAC) was established in July 1984 in response to certain geopolitical developments to ensure effective command and control of IAF assets and facilitate quick deployment of combat forces in the event of threats developing in the Indian Ocean Region. In a recent redeployment of IAF assets, one Helicopter Unit was inducted at Air Force Station Thanjavur on 19 March 2024. Induction of the helicopter unit at Thanjavur would ensure availability of sufficient resources with HQ SAC to enhance operational capabilities as well as meet the peacetime tasks of Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Casualty evacuation. Click here to read...

Delivery of ‘Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 18’

The delivery of ‘Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 18’, part of 11x ACTCM Barge Project, built by MSME Shipyard, M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane for Indian Navy, was undertaken on 28 March 2024 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai for NAD(Karanja). Induction of these Barges would provide impetus to operational commitments of Indian Navy (IN) by facilitating Transportation, Embarkation and Disembarkation of articles/ ammunition to IN Ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbours. These Barges are indigenously designed and built under relevant Naval Rules and Regulation of Indian Register of Shipping. Click here to read...

Maiden Test-Firing of 1500 Horsepower (HP) Engine for Main Battle Tanks

The maiden test-firing of India’s first indigenously-made 1500 Horsepower (HP) engine for Main Battle Tanks was conducted at BEML’s Engine division in Mysuru complex on 20 March 2024. The achievement heralds a new era in the country’s defence capabilities, showcasing the technological prowess and commitment to self-reliance in defence technologies. The 1500 HP engine represents a paradigm shift in military propulsion systems, possessing cutting-edge features such as high power-to-weight ratio, operability in extreme conditions including high altitudes, sub-zero temperatures, and desert environments. Click here to read...

Re-organisation of Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA)

In a major reform towards ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and to achieve Aatmnirbharta in Defence, the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence has issued notification for re-organisation of Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) which is aimed at speeding up Quality Assurance processes and trials and reducing layers of decision-making. This re-organisation also factors change in the Quality Assurance methodology and revised role of DGQA post corporatization of OFB. Click here to read...

II. STI in Space Sector

India's First Military Grade Spy Satellite

India’s first military grade spy satellite manufactured by the domestic private sector is ready, and has been shipped for launch on a SpaceX rocket. Work is also in progress on a ground station that will control the asset and process sub-meter resolution imagery from it. The ground control in Bengaluru will direct the satellite's path and process imagery. It will provide imagery with 0.5-metre spatial resolution. The satellite has been built in partnership with Satellogic. Click here to read...

ISRO Launches INSAT-3DS Meteorological Satellite

The GSLV-F14 carrying INSAT-3D meteorological satellite was successfully launched recently from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. About 18 minutes after the lift-off from the spaceport’s second launchpad, the GSLV-F14 deployed the INSAT-3DS into the intended geosynchronous transfer orbit. The INSAT-3DS satellite is a follow-on mission of the third generation meteorological satellite from geostationary orbit. The satellite is an exclusive mission designed for enhanced meteorological observations, monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting, and disaster warning. Click here to read...

IN-SPACe Facilitates the Transfer of Six ISRO Technology Companies

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has facilitated the transfer of six technologies belonging to the Indian space agency to private players. According to IN-SPACe, it has been mandated to facilitate the transfer of technologies developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to Indian companies. The technology transfer agreements were signed between NewSpace India Ltd commercial arm of India's Department of Space, IN-SPACe, and the concerned companies. Click here to read...

ISRO to Send a Rotocraft to Explore the Red Planet’s Atmosphere

ISRO intends to dispatch a rotocopter to Mars, inspired by NASA’s Ingenuity quadcopter, which recently concluded its groundbreaking three-year mission, encompassing a total of 72 flights. ISRO’s rotocraft is currently in the conceptual phase. It is anticipated to house multiple instruments, such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, pressure sensors, wind speed sensors, electric field sensors, trace species detectors, and dust sensors. Click here to read...

Space Tech Startup, SpaceFields, Raises $800,000 (Rs 6.5 crore) Seed Funding

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) -incubated space tech startup SpaceFields said that it has raised $800,000 (Rs 6.5 crore) in an oversubscribed seed funding round. “The round was led by US-based HVB 88 Angels and Delhi-based O2 Angels Network, with participation from Vinners, Burla Angels, and angel investors including Keshab Panda, Raghu Das, Guru Biswal, Rajesh Ranjan, CA Sweta Sureka, and others,” SpaceFields said. SpaceFields, founded in 2021, designs and manufactures solid rocket propulsion systems for aerospace, defence and space applications. Incubated at the IISc, SpaceFields has filed six patents and unveiled India’s first aerospike rocket engine last year. Click here to read...

III. Nuclear Technology

NCC & NPCIL Signs MoU to Raise Awareness on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Power

National Cadet Corps (NCC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on March 21, 2024 to conduct various awareness programmes throughout the country to enhance public perceptions on peaceful use of nuclear power and disseminate scientific & authentic information. The NPCIL will be providing resource persons in this initiative for field engagements with the NCC during the camps and various activities by educating the cadets. The MoU also facilitates a unique opportunity to the cadets to visit various facilities of NPCIL across the country. Click here to read...

Nuclear Industry’s Commitment to Expand Nuclear Energy

In Brussels at the Nuclear Energy Summit 2024, hosted by IAEA and the Belgium government, World Nuclear Association, along with national and regional nuclear industry associations have issued an Industry Statement. The statement sets out the global nuclear industry’s commitment to supporting government objectives to expand nuclear energy capacity worldwide to achieve climate and energy security goals. The global nuclear industry is ready to support government objectives through the continued operation of the existing nuclear energy facilities and deployment of new power plants, related infrastructure, and technologies. Click here to read...

Lessons from Fukushima, Need for Preparation, Training, and Protocols

The Fukushima accident in Japan in March 2011 is still cited as a reason for hesitancy in adopting it. A new study synthesizes information from multidisciplinary sources to understand how the Fukushima Dai’ichi disaster unfolded, and points to the importance of mitigation measures and last lines of defense — even against accidents considered highly unlikely. These procedures have received relatively little attention, but they are critical in determining how severe the consequences of a reactor failure will be, the researchers say. An analysis of the 2011 nuclear accident reveals a need for more preparation, training, and protocols for responding to low-probability accidents. Click here to read...

Fortify Regional Capacity to Combat Biological Threats and Implement BWC

In a bid to strengthen regional cooperation and bolster national implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), 60 delegates from ten Southern African states and international and regional organisations convened in Gaborone, Botswana, from 12 to 14 March 2024 for a three-day workshop. The event, organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and Security of Botswana, aimed to fortify the region’s capacity to combat biological threats and promote adherence to international disarmament norms and standards. Click here to read...

Next Stage of the AUKUS Partnership on Nuclear-Powered Submarines

On 22 March 2024, Australia announced the next stage of the AUKUS partnership, including the statement that “work has already begun to develop the skills to maintain our nuclear-powered submarines with increased visits of US and UK SSNs ahead of the arrival of Australia’s own sovereign Virginia class submarines”. The IAEA will ensure that technical measures are in place to address the possible implications of the developments announced on the application of Agency safeguards, stated the IAEA Director General Statement in Relation to AUKUS Announcement. Click here to read...

IV. Emerging Technologies and Applications

Startup Mahakumbh, Largest Startup Event, Registered Record Participation

Startup Mahakumbh, India's largest and first-of-its-kind startup event, registered record participation, serving as a vibrant platform for all stakeholders in the Indian startup ecosystem. The confluence of stakeholders and experts is expected to help further develop emerging sectors like DeepTech, AgriTech, BioTech, MedTech, AI, Gaming, etc. The event is hosting over 2000 startups, 1000+ investors, 100+ unicorns, 300+ incubators & accelerators, 3,000+ conference delegates, 10+ country delegations, 3000+ future entrepreneurs and 50,000+ business visitors from across the country. Click here to read...

MoU Signed to Deliver New Technology to the Farmers

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Dhanuka Agritech Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will utilize the efficiency of both the institutions to deliver new technology to the farmers. On the occasion, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR Dr. U.S. Gautam said that there are more than 14.5 crore farmers across the country, out of which most of the farmers are having small land holdings. Dhanuka Agritech will provide training related to agricultural production to these small farmers by associating with the central institutes, ATARIs and KVKs. Click here to read...

Applications of Emerging Technologies across Agricultural Value Chain

The workshop on “Cultivating tomorrow: Advancing digital agriculture through IoT and AI”, concluded on 18 March 2024 , where the participants delved into the applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and other cutting-edge technologies across the agricultural value chain. Topics ranged from production to consumption, including post-harvest management and marketing. Participants explored how these technologies can empower farmers with real-time data, predictive analytics, and actionable insights, thereby addressing the challenges posed by global population growth and climate change to traditional farming practices. Click here to read...

Grant for Innovative Antibiotic Development Project

In an innovative initiative aimed at propelling healthcare innovation forward, the Technology Development Board (TDB) has penned an agreement with M/s Peptris Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and the Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR), Bengaluru on 18 March 2024. Under the agreement, the Board has sanctioned a grant of ₹75 Lakhs towards the project "ANAGRANINF - Development of a Novel Class of Antibiotics Against Gram-Negative Bacterial-Infections," against the total project cost of ₹1.5 crores. Click here to read...

Setting up a Commercial Plant for Recycling of Li Battery and E-Waste

The Technology Development Board (TDB) has entered into an agreement with M/s Remine India Private Limited, for “Setting up a commercial plant for recycling of Li Battery and E-Waste using Indigenous Technology” at Eldeco, SIIDCUL Industrial Area in Sitarganj (District Udham Singh Nagar), Uttarakhand on 27th March 2024 in New Delhi. Through the agreement, TDB has pledged a financial assistance of ₹ 7.5 crores out of the total project cost of ₹ 15 crores, marking a significant stride towards sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Click here to read...

V. International Cooperation

India-South Korea Cooperation in Emerging Technologies

India wants to expand its strategic partnership with South Korea into new areas like critical and emerging technologies (CETs), semiconductors and green hydrogen to make the bilateral ties more contemporary, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. Jaishankar said this as he co-chaired the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul in Seoul. He said the two sides held a comprehensive and productive discussion on cooperation in the fields of defence, science and technology and trade. Click here to read...

India-Bhutan Technology Cooperation

In the joint statement issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Bhutan, India and Bhutan agreed to strengthen technology cooperation between the countries to achieve economic development. In the Joint Statement, they stated that “As our nations undergo profound digital and technological transformation, our joint endeavour will be to harness technologies for rapid economic growth and promoting the well-being of the two peoples. We will intensify our engagement in niche sectors of space technology, digital public infrastructure, start-ups, Artificial Intelligence, Clean Energy, STEM research and education and digital skills development.” Click here to read...

India-Philippine Technology, FinTech and Startup Partnership

India through its Embassy in Philippines launched the first India-Philippine Tech Summit (IPTS) to help boost tech and digital partnership with Manila. In his speech during the IPTS in Taguig City, Indian Ambassador to Manila Shambhu Kumaran referred to the need for developing countries to develop partnerships amongst themselves —particularly in security, people-to-people ties, and the economy. The summit brought Indian ‘unicorns’—startup companies valued at over $1 billion that are privately owned and not listed on a share market— as well as other startups in the areas of agriculture, health care and financial technology (fintech) to the Philippines. Click here to read...

India-US Defence and Technology Cooperation

India-US security cooperation will become even more important in the years ahead and the work of the two countries on emerging technologies will take on even more promise, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, wrote in a blog post. He identified defence, democracy and technology as three key areas of cooperation between the two countries. Through the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership, the US is working closely with India to build and maintain internet infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity protections, Verma wrote. Click here to read...

VI. Regional and Global Trends

Nvidia Became the Powerhouse Chipmaker of the AI

Nvidia has surged to new highs on the stock market in recent weeks, fuelled by optimism about the future of artificial intelligence (AI). The chipmaker — which is a leading manufacturer of the graphic processing units (GPUs) typically used in AI — closed above $2 trillion for the first time, making it the third most valuable company on Wall Street, behind only Microsoft and Apple. With the expansive “moat” Nvidia has secured through years of investment and the development of its own widely used software ecosystem, experts said it is unlikely competitors will be able to span the gap any time soon. Click here to read...

US Federal Trade Commission Could Reach Settlement With or Sue TikTok

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission could resolve its investigation into Chinese-owned short video app TikTok over allegedly faulty privacy and data security practices by either filing suit or reaching a settlement in the coming weeks, a source told Reuters. Reuters in 2020 reported the FTC and the U.S. Justice Department were looking into allegations the popular social media app failed to live up to a 2019 agreement aimed at protecting children's privacy. The probe is separate from ongoing concerns in Congress about the potential that the data of TikTok's 170 million U.S. users could be improperly accessed by the Chinese government. Click here to read...

ByteDance Investors Could Win in TikTok Sale

Investors in TikTok’s Chinese parent company stand to benefit if it sold the app because divestment would remove a source of uncertainty, a Republican lawmaker said. “It would be in the financial interest of ByteDance’s investors to effectuate a forced sale,” Representative Mike Gallagher, who spearheaded a House-passed bill aimed at making the company divest TikTok to allow its continued operation in the US, said on CBS’s Face the Nation. Efforts to remove Chinese corporate influence over the popular social-media platform is back on the political agenda in an election year. Click here to read...

China Falling Short of Matching US Advances in AI

China is falling short of matching the United States in artificial intelligence (AI) advances because the nation’s efforts are “littered with many essential challenges in theory and technologies”, according to a recent presentation made to Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Those difficulties were pointed out to Li during his recent inspection tour of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), a private non-profit organisation. The major hurdle faced by China’s generative AI initiatives, according to the presentation at BAAI, is excessive reliance on Meta Platforms’ Llama system, a family of large language models (LLMs) released in February last year. Click here to read...

ASML Plans to Expand Outside the Netherlands, China Watches with Interest

Plans by chip equipment giant ASML to expand outside the Netherlands are watched with great interest in China, where some social media users believe that Dutch export curbs on sophisticated semiconductor manufacturing machines are to blame for the company’s potential relocation. ASML, which holds a monopoly in the world’s most advanced chip-making tools, is mulling an expansion outside its Dutch headquarters, with France being one option. Click here to read...