Science & Technology developments in India

Science & Technology developments in India

• Science and Technology hold the key to the progress and development of any nation. Technology plays a Fundamental role in wealth creation, improvement of the Quality Of Life and real economic Growth and transformation in any Society.
• The role of Science and Technology in our daily life is altering the way people live, behave, and communicate with profound effects on Economic Development. Science and Technology are now the key Elements to development as the scientific revolutions reinforce economic progress, Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE and improve Health and Education system
• Innovation is the primary key to the technological growth and leads to better living standards. The degrees to which developing countries can emerge as economic powerhouse depends on their ability to apply insights from science and technology.
• The potential of Science and Technology for growth is endless. For example, the computing is unlocking infrastructure backlogs and handling integrated supply chains which can transform economic performances by enabling accessible and affordable Services in healthcare and education. The emerging technology of Internet and cloud-based solutions has transformed human experience.

New Science, Technology and Innovation Developments In India

• While it is the private sector that constitutes the engine of innovation, national policies create environments that can encourage or constrain the ability of firms to innovate.
• The more innovative firms are, the more they are profitable and the more value-added they create in a nation. It is, therefore, vital for countries to put in place policies to create an effective and efficient national innovation system (NIS).
• Four conditions need to be met for building an effective national innovation system.
• These are

1. strong and competitive pressures on domestic firms;
2. the presence of high quality Human Capital;
3. well developed links between Industry, institutions and academia; and
4. openness and access to foreign technologies.

• These determinants of an NIS indicate that innovation involves far more than science and technology. It cannot be denied, however, that a forward-looking S&T policy can be developed to foster an appropriate mix of these determinants.
• Indeed, the first step towards, and the necessary pre-requisite to, any good NIS is an effective S&T policy. In recognition of this, all advanced and industrialising countries consciously foster an S&T policy.
• The pressures of international competition have made both knowledge creation and exploitation vital for business success. As a result, the internationalisation of R&D has increasing relevance for strategic management of companies and the strengthening of national innovation systems.
• The globalisation of R&D is establishing deep roots for several reasons.

1. Firstly, changing geopolitical infrastructures are creating new opportunities for synergistic R&D activities across national frontiers.
2. Secondly, rapidly changing technologies are no longer constrained by geographical boundaries.
3. Thirdly, increasing complexities of technological systems are making it imperative to generate and implement knowledge in emerging fields quickly and collaboratively.
4. Fourthly, the need for brainpower with an ever-increasing sophistication is being met by identifying and employing people with the appropriate skills at appropriate locations wherever they may be. International R&D strategy is thus emerging to meet these challenges.

• To this end, firms in developed countries and increasingly in some developing countries are being driven to take advantage of world-wide science and technology Resources.
• These factors have spurred the growth of science and technology developments in those nations, which have conducive environments.
• Israel, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and, to a lesser extent, Ireland, have made substantial progress in upgrading their innovative capacity and, as a result, have become beneficiaries of foreign investments in science and technology ventures.
• Although countries such as India, China and Malaysia, have increased investments in areas related to science, technology and innovation at modest levels, there is little doubt that some of these, especially China and India, are potential scientific powerhouses

Trends in India’s Science and Technology Policy

• It has long been recognised that Investment in science and technology makes substantial contribution to economic growth in terms of higher growth rates of an economy’s total factor productivity.
• In addition to direct returns, huge (positive) externalities have also been found to be associated with it.
• Taking cognisance of the importance of technology’s role in development, advanced countries nurture continuing development of science and technology and most developing countries adopt R&D policies in the early phases of their development. Science and Technology policy constitutes an integral part of a nation’s overall Industrial Policy
• While the former shapes the pace and direction of technology development, the latter determines the nature of demand.
• Science and Technology policy of any nation is carved within the background of overall industrial policy.
• If anything, S&T policy is supposed not only to give meaning to, but more importantly, to ensure achievement of the goals of industrial policy.
• It is therefore the thrust and direction of industrial policy that determines the tenets of any S&T policy, although it must be said that R&D may lead to results that may also change the course of industrial policy.
• Even so, S&T policy has almost always been driven by the goals of industrial development policy.
• Two strands of S&T policy have existed – policies related to technology transfer from abroad through formal modes such as FDI, technology licensing and Capital Goods imports and domestic technology generation policies.

Recent developments

Some of the recent developments in the field of science and technology in India are as follows:

• Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd launched its first-ever driverless tractor on developed at the Mahindra Research Valley hub in Chennai, which can be operated remotely via a tablet. The tractor is expected to be available commercially from early 2018.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has 21 rocket launches in the pipeline, along with testing of its heaviest rocket called the Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) MK-III.
• India’s space business to witness tremendous growth in the next five years, on the back of technology advancement, global space business opportunity and a sharp rise in Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) satellite launch capability.
• ISRO’s lunar dust mining plan focuses on generating and transporting energy to the Earth from Helium-3 rich lunar dust from the Moon, as part of its 2030 goal of meeting India’s energy needs.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch 2 satellites in March and April 2017, which includes the satellite meant for the benefit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations. ISRO also targets launch of second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 in first quarter of 2018.
• ISRO has launched a record high of 104 satellites in one go on a single rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Space Research and Discovery

1. High-thrust cryogenic engine CE20 (ISRO, India)- To be used in heavy launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III.
2. Galactoseismology (India)            Method to detect dwarf galaxies dominated by dark matter. Also explains ripples on outer disk of galaxy.
3. ASTROSAT(ISRO, India) India’s 1st dedicated multi wavelength space observatory.

In Defence and Combat Sector S&T Development

In Health and Medicine Sector S&T Development

In Science and Technology Sector S&T Development

In Research and Discovery Sector S&T Development

Major developments/ achievements of Department of Science and Technology

Major developments/ achievements/ Main highlights of the activities of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology during the Year 2016 are as following:

• National Initiative for Developing & Harnessing Innovation (NIDHI), a programme to address the complete chain of innovation ecosystem right from scouting to mentoring to scaling up  innovations launched by DST.  Establishment of a research park at IIT Gandhinagar has been supported at a cost of Rs.90 cr.
• Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has initiated a new scheme viz. Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme. The scheme envisages to associate distinguished international faculty as Adjunct/Visiting Faculty in Indian institutions for a period of 1-3 month in a year.
• Overseas Doctoral Fellowship scheme aimed to impart research training of Ph.D. Scholars in Indian institutions for collaborative research abroad was launched by SERB. Fellowship would be for a period upto 12 months.
• ‘Technology Vision 2035’ document was released by Hon’ble Prime Minister, on 3rd January 2016 during 103rd session of Indian Science Congress, held at Mysore University, Mysuru.
• Devasthal Optical Telescope, an Indo-Belgian venture, successfully established by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital was technically activated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Prime Minister of Belgium, Mr. Charles Michel, remotely from Brussels.
• Surya Jyoti: Photovoltaic integrated Micro Solar Dome, is the simple innovative technology developed to meet the lighting need for people who do not have access to reliable supply of electricity. The product has been included for subsidy under Off Grid and decentralized solar application scheme of Ministry of New and RENEWABLE ENERGY. The Ministry of Rural Development has informed to all States and Union Territories to explore the possibility of adopting this innovative technology of Surya Jyoti for the houses constructed under Prime Minister Awas Yojana-Gramin.
• The National Award for the successful commercialization of indigenous technology was presented to SMITA Research Lab, IIT Delhi for the commercialization of N9 Pure Silver by , the Hon’ble President of India, during the Technology Day function on 11th May 2016. Technology was jointly developed by M/s RESIL Chemicals Private Limited and ARCI, Hyderabad under Nano Mission of DST.
• Deployment of a mobile RO unit: DST has supported quick deployment and demonstration of a mobile water purification unit developed by CSIR-CSMCRI for producing portable water for drinking. It was demonstrated in Latur, Marathwada region which  was facing severe scarcity of drinking water during this year’s drought period.
• Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) based plasma system for portable water purification: A technology developed at CEERI Pilani through support by DST’s Water Technology Initiative (WTI) for Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) based plasma system for disinfection has been successfully transferred for commercialization to Turners Pvt. Ltd. Jaipur.

• The Water Quality Laboratory at Kohima, Nagaland: The Referral Water Laboratory, fully equipped with the in house sophisticated analytical equipments for Water Quality analysis was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan at NASTEC, Kohima, Nagaland,
• Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS): The Indo-US consortium has developed the crucial prototype test loop that demonstrate the multiscale aspects of the supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle (s-CO2) at IISc Bangalore for development of high temperature Concentrated Solar Power in the country.
• BRICS STI Cooperation: To further strengthen the collaboration amongst the BRICS countries in the areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was convened on 8 October, 2016 at Jaipur.
• DST and RC-UK have agreed to launch India-UK Clean Energy R&D Centre on solar energy, storage and integration with an investment of £ 5 million from each side.
• Building upon the Thames-Ganga PARTNERSHIP and recognising the importance of clean and portable water, DST and RCUK have agreed to launch a new collaborative programme on Improving Water Quality and Reusing Waste Water.
• DST-Intel Collaborative Research for Real-Time River Water and Air Quality Monitoring: Recognizing the importance of developing the online River Water and Air Quality Monitoring systems, DST and Intel has initiated a joint programme at a cost of Rs.33 cr on a 50:50 cost sharing basis in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
• A new programme on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (ICPS) to foster and promote R&D in this emerging field of research has been launched. A Cyber Physical System (CPS) is a mechanism controlled or monitored by computer-based algorithms, tightly integrated with internet and its users. It is an engineered system that are built from and depend upon, the seamless integration of computational algorithms and physical components
• Collaboration with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), UK: Initiated to access its neutron facility for carrying out research in Nano Science and Technology.
• DST constituted ‘Standing Committee for Promoting Women in Science’ to address a low representation of women in Science & Technology (S&T) domain. To provide opportunities to women scientists and technologists for pursuing research in basic or applied sciences, 227 projects were recommended for support. Twenty nine projects to women scientist were supported for finding out solutions to  challenges/issues at the grassroots level for social benefit. To create opportunity of self EMPLOYMENT and/or also sustainable career for the women scientists, one year internship in the domain of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) to 111 women was provided during the year.
• Technology demonstrated for  cyber-digital-physical  reconstruction  of  Hampi heritage  Plans for covering 100 monuments are under formulation.
• DST-STI Policy Fellowship at post-doctoral level was initiated to generate a critical mass of policy researchers.
• In the context of Start-up India initiative of the Government, INSPIRE Awards scheme has been revamped to foster culture of innovation among school children of class VI to class X. The scheme has been rechristened as INSPIRE Awards-MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge). The 6th National Level Exhibition & Project Competition was organized during December 10-11, 2016 along with India International Science Festival (IISF) at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi.

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India has made significant progress in science and technology in recent years. The country has a strong research and development (R&D) base, with a number of world-class universities and research institutions. India is also home to a large number of skilled scientists and engineers.

India has made significant advances in agriculture, Biotechnology, computer science, electronics, energy, Environment, food technology, health, information technology, materials science, mathematics, medicine, Nanotechnology, nuclear science, physics, Space Technology, telecommunications, transportation, and water technology.

In agriculture, India has developed new high-yield varieties of crops, improved Irrigation systems, and introduced new farming techniques. These advances have helped to increase agricultural production and reduce POVERTY.

In biotechnology, India has developed new Vaccines, drugs, and diagnostic tests. These advances have helped to improve public health and reduce the burden of disease.

In computer science, India has developed new Software technologies and applications. These advances have helped to improve the efficiency of businesses and government services.

In electronics, India has developed new semiconductor chips, displays, and solar cells. These advances have helped to boost the country’s manufacturing sector.

In energy, India has developed new renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power. These advances have helped to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.

In environment, India has developed new technologies to reduce pollution and protect the environment. These advances have helped to improve the quality of life for Indians.

In food technology, India has developed new methods of Food Processing and preservation. These advances have helped to improve the safety and quality of food.

In health, India has developed new medical treatments and technologies. These advances have helped to improve the health of Indians and reduce the burden of disease.

In information technology, India has developed new software technologies and applications. These advances have helped to improve the efficiency of businesses and government services.

In materials science, India has developed new materials for use in a variety of applications, such as electronics, aerospace, and construction. These advances have helped to improve the performance of products and services.

In mathematics, India has made significant advances in a number of areas, such as number theory, algebra, and geometry. These advances have helped to improve our understanding of the world around us.

In medicine, India has developed new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests. These advances have helped to improve public health and reduce the burden of disease.

In nanotechnology, India has developed new materials and devices at the nanoscale. These advances have helped to improve the performance of products and services.

In nuclear science, India has developed nuclear power Plants and nuclear weapons. These advances have helped to meet the country’s energy needs and provide security.

In physics, India has made significant advances in a number of areas, such as particle physics, condensed matter physics, and astrophysics. These advances have helped to improve our understanding of the universe.

In space technology, India has developed satellites, launch vehicles, and space probes. These advances have helped to improve the country’s Communication and navigation systems and to conduct scientific research.

In telecommunications, India has developed a world-class telecommunications infrastructure. This infrastructure has helped to improve communication and connectivity within the country and with the rest of the world.

In transportation, India has developed a modern transportation system, including roads, railways, Airports, and seaports. This system has helped to improve the movement of people and goods within the country and with the rest of the world.

In water technology, India has developed new methods of water purification and desalination. These advances have helped to improve the quality of water and meet the country’s water needs.

India’s progress in science and technology has been driven by a number of factors, including a strong government commitment to R&D, a large pool of skilled scientists and engineers, and a growing private sector. The country’s progress in science and technology has had a positive impact on the lives of Indians, and it is expected to continue to do so in the years to come.

What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.

What is the scientific method?

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Scientists use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. Just like with any experiment, the scientific method starts with a question.

What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is a belief that is not necessarily true or false.

What is the difference between a reliable source and an unreliable source?

A reliable source is a source that provides accurate and unbiased information. An unreliable source is a source that provides inaccurate or biased information.

What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?

A primary source is a document or artifact that was created during the time period being studied. A secondary source is a document or artifact that was created after the time period being studied.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative data?

Quantitative data is data that can be measured or counted. Qualitative data is data that cannot be measured or counted.

What is the difference between correlation and causation?

Correlation is a relationship between two variables. Causation is a relationship in which one variable causes another variable to change.

What is the difference between a Population and a sample?

A population is a group of all the individuals that are being studied. A sample is a subset of the population that is being studied.

What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize data. Inferential statistics are used to make inferences about a population based on data from a sample.

What is the difference between a mean, Median, and mode?

The mean is the Average of a set of numbers. The median is the middle number in a set of numbers. The mode is the most common number in a set of numbers.

What is the difference between a hypothesis test and a confidence interval?

A hypothesis test is used to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between two groups. A confidence interval is used to estimate the range of values that a population parameter is likely to take.

What is the difference between a p-value and a confidence level?

A p-value is the Probability of obtaining the results that were observed if the null hypothesis were true. A confidence level is the probability that the confidence interval contains the true population parameter.

What is the difference between a type I error and a type II error?

A type I error is the error of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true. A type II error is the error of failing to reject the null hypothesis when it is false.

What is the difference between a one-tailed test and a two-tailed test?

A one-tailed test is a test in which the alternative hypothesis specifies that the population parameter is greater than or less than a certain value. A two-tailed test is a test in which the alternative hypothesis specifies that the population parameter is different from a certain value.

What is the difference between a parametric test and a nonparametric test?

A parametric test is a test that assumes that the data are normally distributed. A nonparametric test is a test that does not assume that the data are normally distributed.

What is the difference between a simple random sample and a stratified random sample?

A simple random sample is a sample in which every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected. A stratified random sample is a sample in which the population is divided into groups (strata) and individuals are selected from each group in proportion to the size of the group.

What is the difference between a cluster sample and a systematic sample?

A cluster sample is a sample in which individuals are selected from groups (clusters) of individuals. A systematic sample is a sample in which individuals are selected from the population at regular intervals.

What is the difference between a convenience sample and a quota sample?

A convenience sample is a sample that is selected because it is easy to obtain. A quota sample is a sample in which individuals are selected to represent different groups in the population.

What is the difference between a cross-sectional study and a longitudinal study?

A cross-sectional study is a study in

Sure, here are some MCQs without mentioning the topic Science & Technology developments in India:

1. Which of the following is not a type of Artificial Intelligence?
   (A) Machine Learning
   (B) Natural language processing
   (C) Robotics
   (D) Science & Technology

2. Which of the following is not a type of renewable energy?
   (A) Solar energy
   (B) Wind Energy
   (C) Nuclear Energy
   (D) Hydroelectric energy

3. Which of the following is not a type of computer virus?
   (A) Worm
   (B) Trojan horse
   (C) Malware
   (D) Science & Technology

4. Which of the following is not a type of programming language?
   (A) Python
   (B) Java
   (C) C++
   (D) Science & Technology

5. Which of the following is not a type of Database?
   (A) Relational database
   (B) NoSQL database
   (C) Object-relational database
   (D) Science & Technology

6. Which of the following is not a type of cloud computing service?
   (A) Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
   (B) Platform as a service (PaaS)
   (C) Software as a service (SaaS)
   (D) Science & Technology

7. Which of the following is not a type of Social Media platform?
   (A) Facebook
   (B) Twitter
   (C) Instagram
   (D) Science & Technology

8. Which of the following is not a type of search engine?
   (A) Google
   (B) Bing
   (C) Yahoo
   (D) Science & Technology

9. Which of the following is not a type of operating system?
   (A) Windows
   (B) macOS
   (C) Linux
   (D) Science & Technology

10. Which of the following is not a type of computer hardware?
    (A) CPU
    (B) RAM
    (C) Hard drive
    (D) Science & Technology

I hope this helps!