Science And Technology

 Station Shiv Shakti

Key points:
o ‘Station Shiv Shakti’, name of Chandrayaan- 3’s Landing Site.
o The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved the name ‘Station Shiv Shakti’ for
the landing site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on the Moon.
 Science And Technology

 Tata Cummins Inaugurated Hydrogen ICE Manufacturing Facility

Key points:
o Tata Cummins Private Limited (TCPL), a joint venture between Tata Motors Limited and
Cummins Inc. USA, has inaugurated a new factory in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. It will
produce hydrogen-based internal combustion engines (ICEs) for medium and heavy
commercial vehicles.
o In addition to hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines (ICEs), the facility will also
manufacture low to zero-emission technology products.
 Science And Technology

 India’s First Battery Storage Gigafactory

Key Points:
o India’s First Battery Storage Gigafactory to Start Operations in J&K.
o Good Enough Energy has announced that it will start operations at India’s first battery
energy storage gigafactory in the northern region of Jammu and Kashmir by October 2024.
o It will help industries cut more than 5 million tons of carbon emissions in a year. India has
set a goal to become net zero by 2070.
Value Addition
o Battery energy storage projects are crucial for India’s ambitious plan to expand its
renewable energy capacity to 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from the current 178 GW.
o Battery storage systems enable the storage of energy from solar, wind, and other
renewable sources.
o This stored energy can be released when needed, making renewable energy more reliable
and consistent.
 Science And Technology
 FSSAI to Setup Lab Network
Key Points
o FSSAI sets up lab network to test food for pathogens.
Reason
o FSSAI is working towards creating a network of 34 microbiology labs across the country that will
be equipped to test food products for 10 pathogens, including E coli, salmonella, and listeria.
About the Lab Network
o These labs will help test food for microbial contamination that can lead to spoilage of food and
potential health risks.
o These labs will be able to test the food samples collected during routine surveillance for
microbes.
About FSSAI
o Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous statutory body
established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act).
o Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the administrative Ministry of FSSAI.
o Headquarters: Delhi.
 Science And Technology

 Europa Clipper Mission

Key points:
o NASA’s Europa Clipper mission aims to explore Europa for signs of life.
o Scientists are particularly interested in a potential salty lake hidden beneath its icy crust.
o As part of this mission, NASA plans to send a unique message to Europa, symbolizing
human curiosity and creativity.

Value Addition
o The spacecraft will carry a triangular metal plate engraved with “In Praise of Mystery: A
Poem for Europa” by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
o Additionally, it will hold a silicon microchip featuring over 2.6 million names submitted by
the public.
o NASA conducted a “Message in a Bottle” campaign, inviting the public to submit their
names to be included on the spacecraft.
 Science And Technology

 Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE)

Key points:
o Launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
o Aim - Systematic reduction of snakebite envenoming risk.
o Its vision is to reduce snakebite deaths and disability cases by halve by 2030, through
‘One Health’ approach.
o One Health is an integrated approach to sustainably balance and optimize health of
people, animals, and ecosystems.
o It envisages step-wise approach for states/ union territories to develop their own action
plan as per their needs.
 Science And Technology

 6Samudrayaan Mission
Key points:
o Minister for Earth Sciences (MoES) announced that Samudrayaan mission is set to
explore ocean bed by 2025-end.
o Aim: To develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry 3 human beings to a
water depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean
exploration.
o It is part of Deep Ocean Mission of MoES.
o For this, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai has developed Matsya
6000.
 Science And Technology

 Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI)

Key points:
o Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) inaugurated the first phase of ART-CI in Madhya
Pradesh.
o Aim: Advancing weather research for better understanding on processes governing
monsoon convection and land atmosphere interactions over core monsoon zone.
o It is a first of its kind testbed facility spearheaded by the Pune-based Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
o It has been established under Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing
Systems & Services (ACROSS) umbrella scheme of MoES.
 Science And Technology

 Miniature space laboratory, „AsteriX Lab‟

Key points:
o IIT Madras is collaborating with Vellon Space for demonstrating its miniature space
laboratory, ‘AsteriX Lab,’ in orbit.
o The ‘Extra-Terrestrial Manufacturing’ (ExTeM-IITM) research centre at IIT Madras will be
the pilot customer for Vellon Space’s in-orbit demonstration mission.
o During its demonstration, the AsteriX Lab will undergo space qualification to conduct
biological experiments, particularly in long-duration cell culture under Lower Earth
Microgravity.
 Science And Technology

 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

o “Indian Network for Fishery and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance” (INFAAR) 2019- 22,
Report
Highlights of the report
o In both sectors, very low resistance was seen to some of the antibiotics which are not in
great use. Example- chloramphenicol.
o Staphylococcus showed extremely high resistance (60%+) to penicillin in the fisheries
sector.
o In the livestock sector E coli and Staphylococci exhibited higher resistance.
o The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), with support from the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), launched INFAAR in 2017.
o It undertakes surveillance of AMR in the aquaculture and veterinary sector.
o AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc no longer respond to antimicrobial
medicines.
 Science And Technology

 MATH initiative
Key points:
o The Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with T-Hub, has
launched the Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technology Hub (MATH) in
Hyderabad.
o Aim: to accelerate AI innovation, facilitate job creation, and foster a supportive
ecosystem for AI and ML startups.
o The MATH initiative targets to generate over 500 AI-related jobs by 2025.
o It aims to nurture more than 150 AI and ML startups annually, providing them with
essential resources and mentorship.
 Science And Technology

 Personal Intelligence (PI)

o Pi is the 1st emotionally intelligent AI chatbot with which one can have deep and
meaningful conversations.
o It is launched by Inflection AI, a California-based AI startup founded by former co-
founders of DeepMind and LinkedIn.
o It is designed to understand natural language, generate relevant, engaging responses,
and handle a wide range of topics.
o The Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technology Hub (MATH)
 Science And Technology

 ISRO‟s New Spaceport

Key points:
o The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a new spaceport at
Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu.
o Its main purpose is to efficiently launch payloads to polar orbits.
o This strategic location offers a significant advantage over the launch pads in Sriharikota.

Value Addition
o It allows small satellite launch vehicles (SSLV) to fly directly southward without the need
for a fuel-consuming dogleg maneuver.
o A dogleg maneuver involves altering the trajectory of a satellite’s launch by a sharp turn
or bend to avoid collisions or prevent debris from falling in populated areas.
 Science And Technology

 Next-generation, green-fuel powered commercial vehicles

Key points:
o Tata Motors flagged off its next-generation, green-fuel powered commercial vehicles to Tata Steel.
o The fleet, comprising Prima tractors, tippers, and the Ultra EV bus, is powered by Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG) and battery electric technologies.
o The vehicles, designed for various applications, were handed over to Tata Steel’s delivery partners for
transporting steel products and raw materials.
o Tata Motors is a leading global automobile manufacturer offering an extensive range of integrated,
smart, and e-mobility solutions.
 Science And Technology

 India‟s first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)

Key points:
o Core Loading Process at India’s first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) Commenced at
Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
o Core loading is the first approach to achieving criticality, leading to generation of power from the
reactor.
o Core loading activity consists of loading of reactor control sub-assemblies, followed by the blanket
sub-assemblies and the fuel sub-assemblies.
Value Addition
o Criticality means enough neutrons are created by fission to make up for those lost by leakage or
absorption so that fission remains constant.
o Operationalization of the PFBR (500 MWe) will mark the start of stage II of India’s three-stage
nuclear power programme.
o It is constructed by Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI) along with others.
 Science And Technology

About PFBR (Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor):

o It is an advanced third generation nuclear reactor
o It is designed to produce more fissile material (Pu239) than it consumes.
o It will initially use the Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.
o Uranium-238 will undergo nuclear transmutation to produce more fuel, thus called
‘Breeder’.
o Transmutation is conversion of one chemical element into another.
o Thorium can be also used, as it transmutes into Uranium-233.
o Utilizes liquid sodium as a coolant.
 Science And Technology

 After 30 Years, India began to make Penicillin

Key Points
o The common antibiotic penicillin will be manufactured in the country for the first time in 30 years.
o Forty greenfield projects under the PLI schemes for manufacturing bulk drugs and medical devices
were inaugurated
About Penicillin
o It is a medication used to manage and treat a wide range of infections.
o It is in the beta-lactam antibiotic class of drugs.

About Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

o Active ingredients contained in a medicine.
o Part of the medicine that produces the intended therapeutic effects.
o E.g.: In a painkiller, the active ingredient relieves pain.
o Only a small amount of the API is required to produce the effect and so the medicine contains only
the required amount of the API.
 Science And Technology

PLI Scheme
o Aim: To promote the domestic manufacturing of, apart from APIs, drug intermediates and key
starting materials (KSMs).
o Implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA) to be nominated by the Department of
Pharmaceuticals.
 Science And Technology

 Eco-Friendly wound dressing

Key Points -
o Eco-Friendly wound dressing developed by Indian scientists using banana fibres.
o Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) have transformed banana pseudo
stems into an eco-friendly wound dressing material.
o India, the world’s largest banana-farming country, has an abundance of banana pseudo stems,
discarded after harvest.
 Science And Technology

 Juice Jacking
Key Points
o The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) warned users against charging mobile phones using public ports
amidst the rising incidents Of juice jacking.
o It is a form of cyberattack where hackers load malware with public USB charging stations to
maliciously access electronic devices.
o These kinds of attacks are mainly reported from public spaces such as airports, hotels, and shopping
centres.
 Science And Technology

 Space Infrastructure Projects

Key Points
o Prime Minister (PM) inaugurated three Space Infrastructure Projects in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
worth around Rs 1800 crores.

Three projects include -

o PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota to boost frequency of Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launches from 6 to 15 per year.
o Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and Stage Test facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex at
Mahendragiri.
o Trisonic Wind Tunnel at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
 Science And Technology

 ISRO made indigenous atomic clock

o India has been able to connect home computers and smartphones with the indigenous rubidium
atomic clock without making any changes in its time, that is, this clock will determine the time on our
computers and smartphones.
o India will become the fifth country after the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea.
o Currently, Indian systems on the Internet are connected to the US-based Network Time Protocol.
This determines the time on the entire computer network.
o This atomic clock has been developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
o This indigenously developed atomic clock was first used in the 10th and latest version of the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) or NAVIC, launched in May , 2023 .
About the IRNSS
o Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS, developed by the Indian Space Research
Organisation , is a regional autonomous satellite navigation system which is completely under the
Government of India.
o The first satellite ( IRNSS-1A) was launched on July 1, 2013.
o The NavIC system is planned to be expanded to increase its constellation size from 7 to 11 .
 Science And Technology

 Country‟s first AI teacher launched in Kerala

o The country’s first AI teacher Iris has been launched in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala .

Manufacturing Company- Makerlabs Edutech

o This AI teacher was launched on an experimental basis in KTCT Higher Secondary School in
collaboration with Kaduvayil Thangal Charitable Trust .
o This is part of the Atal Tinkering Lab project, an initiative of NITI Aayog. It is designed to promote
extracurricular activities in schools.

 Internet as a basic right

Key Points:
o The Telangana government plans to introduce internet as a basic right for its people.
 Science And Technology

 „SWASTHA‟ project
Key Points:
o IIT Guwahati launches SWASTHA Centre for smart wearable nano sensing technologies in healthcare.
o SWASTHA stands for Smart Wearable Advanced Nano Sensing Technologies in Healthcare.

 Milky way tablet

Key Points:
o EPIC Foundation unveiled the first designed in-India education tablet powered by BharatGPT called
Milkyway.
 Science And Technology

 High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) Vehicles

Key Points:
o National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) successfully flew a prototype of a new-generation unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV).
o It can fly at great heights, about 20 km from ground, runs entirely on solar power, and can remain in
the air for months on end.
 Science And Technology

 National Quantum Mission (NQM) 2023

o Mission Coordination Cell (MCC) will be the coordinating agency of the National Quantum Mission
(NQM).
o MCC will work in coordination with the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
o DST is the implementing agency of the NQM.
About the Mission –
o Aim - To seed, nurture, and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative
ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).
o Duration - 2023 to 2031.
o Targets – Developing intermediate-scale
quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years.
 Science And Technology

India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG) Established at Kochi, Kerala

o India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG) has been established at Kochi, Kerala.
o Established by - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
o IICG is India’s first Graphene Centre.
o It will also support the Graphene-Aurora program of the MeitY.
o It aims to fill the gap between R&D and commercialization by providing a complete facility
to startup and industry.

Graphene semiconductor
o For the first time, graphene has shown band gap property. It allows semiconductors to
switch on and off.
o The achievement opens the door to a potential revolution in computing (alternative to
silicon).
o It introduces a new type of computer with enhanced speed and efficiency compared to the
current silicon chip technology.
 Science And Technology

 Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections

Key Points:-
o Leading tech companies at the Munich Security Conference pledged to prevent deceptive AI content
from elections across the world this year.
 Science And Technology

 „Naughty boy‟ rocket

Key Points:
h ISRO launched a new-generation meteorological satellite, INSAT-3DS using GSLV-F14.
o INSAT-3DS is meant to carry out enhanced monitoring of the Earth’s surface, atmosphere, oceans and
environment.
o INSAT-3DS will augment the capabilities of the existing two meteorological satellites, INSAT-3D and
INSAT-3DR.
 Science And Technology

 GSAT-20 Satellite
Why in news
o ISRO will be using a Falcon 9 rocket to launch its communications satellite GSAT- 20.

About GSAT-20
o It is a communications satellite known as CMS-03 or GSAT-N2.
o Jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organization Satellite Centre and Liquid
Propulsion System Centre.
o It is funded, owned, and operated by New Space India Limited.
o Falcon 9 is a reusable two-stage rocket developed by Elon Musk’s aerospace company
SpaceX.
 Science And Technology

 ndia‟s first hypervelocity expansion tunnel test facility

Key Points:–
o IIT Kanpur has successfully built and tested India’s first hypervelocity expansion tunnel test
facility.
o The facility called S2 nicknamed has been “Jigarthanda”.
 Science And Technology

 “Spynet” spyware
o It is a harmful Android app.
o The app spreads by smishing technique (SMS phishing) and then goes on to steal
users’ personal data.
 Science And Technology

 ISRO‟s two goals

It includes -
a) Setting up an Indian space station by 2035.
b) Taking the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
He also called on the scientists to work towards a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander
Mission.
 Science And Technology

 85. Gaganyaan Mission

o ISRO demonstrated the performance of the Crew Escape System of the Gaganyaan project.
o Test name - Test Vehicle-Demonstration 1 (TV-D1).
o Aim - to allow the Gaganyaan crew to leave the spacecraft in an emergency.

It involves -
a) The rocket rise to an altitude of almost 17 km before an abort signal is triggered, leading
to the separation of the crew module.
b) Crew module will descend using a parachute for a splashdown in the Bay of Bengal.
o The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by
launching crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them
back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
 Science And Technology

 GoRoga
o GlobalSpace Technologies launches ‘GoRoga’.
o It is India’s 1st Anti-Stress wearable.
o It uses non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technology to reduce anxiety and promote
mental wellness.
 Science And Technology

 Google DeepMind
Key Points:
o Google DeepMind has introduced Genie, a new model that can generate interactive video
games from just a text or image prompt.
o Genie is a foundation world model that is trained on videos sourced from the Internet.
o The model can “generate an endless variety of playable (action-controllable) worlds from
synthetic images, photographs, and even sketches.”
 Science And Technology

 Japan‟s space agency launched the H3 rocket

Key Points:
o The H3 liquid fuel rocket was developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
(JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
 Science And Technology

 World‟s first Green Hydrogen Plant

Key Points:
o Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) partnered with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(BPCL) to establish the world’s first green hydrogen plant at an airport.
 Science And Technology

 Odysseus Moon lander

Key Points:
o US aerospace company Intuitive Machines embarked on an ambitious eight-day journey to
the Moon with its Odysseus lander.
 Science And Technology

 OpenAI Sora
Key Points:
o OpenAI has unveiled a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) model named Sora.
o Sora can convert a text prompt into video.
o Sora can generate videos up to a minute long while maintaining visual quality and
adherence to the user’s prompt.
 Science And Technology

 Claude chatbot
Key Points:
o Claude is a group of large language models (LLMs) developed by Anthropic.
 Science And Technology

 Neuralink
Key Points:
o The first human patient has received a brain chip implant from Neuralink.
o It uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of
the brain that controls the intention to move.
o The implants’ “ultra-fine” threads help transmit signals in participants’ brains.
 Science And Technology
o The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy.

 „Rufus‟ AI chatbot
Key Points:
o Amazon is planning to launch a new AI shopping assistant called Rufus
o With Rufus, shoppers can have natural conversations by typing or speaking questions into
the Amazon app search bar.
 Science And Technology

 PACE satellite
Key Points:
o NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite launched on a SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket.
o PACE is NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite.
o PACE will help scientists better understand how climate change is affecting blooms of
ocean phytoplankton.
 Science And Technology

 Wooden satellite
Key Points:
o NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are considering launching the
LignoSat probe.
o LignoSat probe is the world’s first wooden satellite into space.
 Science And Technology

 US lunar lander
o First US lunar lander since 1972 (Apollo 17) was launched.
o Lander module – Peregrine (company - Astrobotic).
o Rocket used – Vulcan (company - United Launch Alliance, Boeing-Lockheed joint venture).
o If successful, this mission would also involve the first landing of a private spacecraft on
the Moon.
 Science And Technology

 Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE)

o NASA has successfully tested 3D printed innovative propulsion system called Rotating
Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE).
o RDRE is NASA’s first engine which generates thrust using a supersonic combustion
phenomenon known as a detonation.
 Science And Technology

 Lunar Gateway Station (2025)

o UAE has announced its participation in NASA’s Lunar Gateway Station.
o Other participants - USA, Japan, Canada, and the European Union.
o Gateway is humanity’s first space station that will orbit the Moon.
 Science And Technology

 Cold dark matter (CDM)

o Scientists have found a new approach to explore CDM.
o CDM is a hypothetical dark matter that constitutes 25 percent of current Universe.
o “Cold” or “hot “refers to the fact that particles of CDM move at speeds much lower than
the speed of light.
o One of the promising candidates for CDM is Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP).