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com 1




CURRENT AFFAIRS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (Part-3)

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' V#IP
V#IP
I()#rtace Le*e$+ i()#rtat+ ,i$$ -e a./e! i ear 01t1re
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is also referred to as IP Telephony or Internet
Telephony or voice over broadband (VoBB). It is another way of making phone calls with the
difference of making the calls cheaper or completely free. The !phone" part is not always present
anymore as yo# can comm#nicate witho#t a telephone set.
A!*ata%e.+
1) There are several advantages to #sing voice over IP. The biggest single advantage VoIP has over
standard telephone systems is cost.
$) In addition international calls #sing VoIP are #s#ally very ine%pensive.
&) 'ne other advantage which will become m#ch more prono#nced as VoIP #se climbs calls between
VoIP #sers are #s#ally free.
() It red#ces operational cost beca#se
a. VoIP can be a benefit for red#cing comm#nication and infrastr#ct#re costs.
b. )o#ting phone calls over e%isting data networks to avoid the need for separate voice and data
networks.
c. The ability to transmit more than one telephone call over a single broadband connection.
*) VoIP permits sec#re calls #sing standardi+ed protocols.
,) It-s portability is high.
C"a$$e%e.
.omm#nication on the IP network is inherently less reliable in contrast to the circ#it/switched p#blic
telephone network
It is s#sceptible to power fail#re.
The nat#re of IP makes it diffic#lt to locate network #sers geographically. 0mergency calls therefore
cannot easily be ro#ted to a nearby call center.
1hen telephone service relies on IP network infrastr#ct#re s#ch as the Internet a network fail#re can
isolate #sers from all telephony comm#nication. (previo#sly Telephone worked even if broadband was
not working).
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VoIP telephone systems are s#sceptible to attacks as are any Internet/connected devices.
2any VoIP carriers allow callers to config#re arbitrary caller I3 information th#s permitting spoofing
attacks.
4#pport for sending fa%es over VoIP implementations is still limited.
In India it is legal to #se VoIP b#t it is illegal to have VoIP gateways inside India.5citation needed6 This
effectively means that people who have P.s can #se them to make a VoIP call to any n#mber b#t if the
remote side is a normal phone the gateway that converts the VoIP call to a P'T4 call sho#ld not be
inside India.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ne, Tec"#$#%ie.4 5e*ice. a! 5i.c#*erie.' a1t##(#1. *e"ic$e
A1t##(#1. Car
I()#rtace Le*e$+ i()#rtat+ ,i$$ -e a./e! i ear 01t1re
7n a#tonomo#s car also known as robotic or informally as driverless or self/driving is an a#tonomo#s
vehicle capable of f#lfilling the h#man transportation capabilities of a traditional car. 7s an
a#tonomo#s vehicle it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating on its own
7 h#man may choose a destination b#t is not re8#ired to perform any mechanical operation of the
vehicle.
7#tonomo#s vehicles sense the world with s#ch techni8#es as radar lidar 9P4 and comp#ter vision.
7dvanced control systems interpret the information to identify appropriate navigation paths as well as
obstacles and relevant signage. 7#tonomo#s vehicles typically #pdate their maps based on sensory
inp#t s#ch that they can navigate thro#gh #ncharted environments.
There have been several programs aro#nd the world.
In :#ne $;11 the state of <evada was the first =#risdiction in the >nited 4tates to pass a law concerning
the operation of a#tonomo#s cars
The <evada law went into effect on 2arch 1 $;1$ and the <evada 3epartment of 2otor Vehicles
iss#ed the first license for a self/driven car in 2ay $;1$.
The license was iss#ed to a Toyota Pri#s modified with 9oogle-s e%perimental driverless technology.
6ee0it.+
4afer roads with fewer traffic collisions and therefore a red#ction road in=#ries and road deaths
Increased roadway capacity and red#ced traffic congestion d#e to red#ced need of safety gaps and the
ability to manage traffic flow more efficiently
)ed#ced =o#rney times as fewer traffic =ams.
If all cars were a#tonomo#s speed limits co#ld possibly be increased whilst remaining safe.
3rivers wo#ld no longer have the physical and mental e%ertion of man#al driving.




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E7a()$e )r#8ect.
9oogle driverless car with a test fleet of a#tonomo#s vehicles that as of 7#g#st $;1$ has driven
&;;;;; miles ((?;;;; km).
2arvin .ar
7#to<'2'4

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' C$#1! C#()1ti%
C$#1! C#()1ti%
I()#rtace Le*e$+ I()#rtat+ A$rea!& a./e!
Loksabha Question:
a) whether @clo#d comp#ting@ technology is in vog#e in the co#ntryA
b) if so the details along with the salient feat#res thereofA and
c) the areas in which this technology is of immense #se and the action taken in this regard so farB
A.,er
MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SHRI SACHIN !ILOT"
a) Ces 4ir. .lo#d .omp#ting offers the advantage of optional #tili+ation of infrastr#ct#re by #tili+ing
technologies like virt#ali+ation etc. and it also paves a new way of delivering services/ 4oftware as
a service Platform as a service and infrastr#ct#re as a service.
b) The salient feat#res that can be leveraged #nder .lo#d .omp#ting areD
i. 'ptim#m #tili+ation of Infrastr#ct#re
ii. 0lasticity and 4calability
iii. 'nline Provisioning of 4ervices to vario#s >sers thro#gh 4elf Provisioning Portal
iv. Tracking the #sage of the reso#rces and services for different #sers.
c) The technology is of immense #se
1here the infrastr#ct#re has to be optimally #tili+ed
4ignificantly speed #p design and roll o#t services
'n demand provisioning of .omp#te 4torage Platform and 7pplications
The proposed draft IT policy #nder preparation also mentions that the emerging technology like .lo#d
.omp#ting will help in val#e creation and drive transformation domestically.





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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&'5e0ece'6#ei% P-9i
6#ei% P-9i
I()#rtace Le*e$+ I()#rtat+ A$rea!& a./e!
Boeing has s#ccessf#lly tested the first of the eight P/?I long/range maritime reconnaissance and anti/
s#bmarine warfare aircraft being b#ilt for the Indian <avy.
The aircraft is being b#ilt for India as part of a contract awarded in :an#ary $;;E and the Boeing/led
team is on track to deliver the first aircraft to the Indian <avy in $;1&
P/?i is a variant of Boeing P/? Poseidon.
5<oteD 7sked in >P4.D.40 $;1;6

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' :G
:G
I()#rtace Le*e$+ I()#rtat
*9 technology is #nder research and it wo#ld have some good feat#res along with the feat#res of (9.
It is said that this will give high bit rate transfer with low costs.
1. Figh bit transfer rate$. <ear abo#t 1 9BP4 speed&. Gow traffic rates(. Better coverage*. Better
sec#rity for #sers,. Figh resol#tionH. )emote 3iagnostic?. Garger bandwidth
4tat#s of (9 in IndiaD T)7I has released a cons#ltation paper on 1E/;?/$;11.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 6i#tec"' 6T C#tt#
6#$$%ar! II C#tt#
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
Bollgard I the predominantly c#ltivated pest tolerant cotton contains only one gene the .ry 17c from
Bacill#s th#ringiensis. Bollgard II contains the .ry $ 7b gene in addition to .ry 1 7c. The Bollgard II
event developed by 2ahyco/2onsanto Biotech Gtd (22BG) is technically designated as 2'< 1*E?*.
B'GG97)3 II I4 2')0 P04T T'G0)7<T
B'GG97)3 II I4 17T0) 0III.I0<T
In 2ay $;;, the 9enetic 0ngineering 7pproval .ommittee (907.) approved for commercial release
Bollgard II cotton hybrids




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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ne, Tec"#$#%ie.4 5e*ice. a! 5i.c#*erie.' H&a$0a
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
1orld-s first fleet of hydrogen/f#elled three/wheelers almost a +ero/emission vehicle while its f#el
cons#mption is s#bstantially lower as compared to gasoline with 1 kg of hydrogen giving aro#nd ?; km
mileage.
The three/wheelers have been developed #nder a pro=ect 3elFy &1 of the >nited <ations Ind#strial
3evelopment 'rgani+ation (><I3')-s International .entre for Fydrogen 0nergy Technologies (><I3'/
I.F0T) in association with 2ahindra J 2ahindra and IIT/3elhi besides being s#pported by the 2inistry
of <ew and )enewable 0nergy (2<)0).
Part of a development pro=ect d#bbed 3elFy &w a fleet of 1* Fy7lfa three/wheelers will r#n on an
e%perimental basis at Pragati 2aidan

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' ;R c#!e
;R c#!e ' ;RC ' <5 6arc#!e.
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
K) or K#ick )esponse .odes are a type of two/dimensional(matri%) barcode that can be read #sing
smartphones and dedicated K) reading devices that link directly to te%t emails websites phone
n#mbers and more. Below is the K) code of visionias.in

K) codes are h#ge in :apan and across the 0ast and are slowly beginning to become commonplace in
the 1est.
'rdinarily we think of a barcode as a collection of vertical linesA $3 Barcodes or K) .odes are different
in that the data is stored in both directions and can be scanned vertically ') hori+ontally.
1hilst a standard 13 Barcode stores #p to &; n#mbers a K) Barcode can store #p to a massive H;?EL
It is this massive amo#nt of data that enables links to s#ch things as videos Iacebook or Twitter pages
or a plethora of other website pages.



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P#)1$ar <5 -arc#!e
The most pop#lar $3 barcode formats are K). 3ata2atri% 4canGife 0Mcode and 2icrosoft Tag. B#t
the name K). has come to stay.
I Ne,.+
)2. starts K) code for validity / Indian 0%press
In a first of its kind service in the co#ntry by any government body the doc#ments iss#ed by )a=kot 2#nicipal
.orporation ()2.) can now be validated by citi+ens or a#thorities thro#gh a #ni8#e K#ick )esponse (K)) code
an application so far #sed by m#ltinationals and IT companies for the validity of the information.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 6i#tec"' Arti0icia$ %ee .&t"e.i.
Arti0icia$ %ee .&t"e.i. ' Arti0icia$ Li0e 'Arti0icia$ 5NA
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
7rtificial gene synthesis is the process of synthesi+ing a gene in vitro witho#t the need for initial
template 3<7 samples.
4ynthesis of the first complete gene a yeast t)<7 was demonstrated by Far 9obind Nhorana and
coworkers in 1EH$
'n 2ay $1 $;1; :. .raig Venter and his team had s#ccessf#lly synthesi+ed the genome of the
bacteri#m 2ycoplasma mycoides from a comp#ter record and transplanted the synthesi+ed genome
into the e%isting cell of a 2ycoplasma capricol#m bacteri#m that had had its 3<7 removed. The
OsyntheticO bacteri#m was viable i.e. capable of replicating billions of times.
The transformed bacteri#m is d#bbed O4ynthia.
A))$icati#+
safely obtain genes for vaccine research witho#t the need to grow the f#ll pathogens.
create artificial life forms.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 6i#tec"' 6i#)irac&
6i#)irac&
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
Biopiracy is a sit#ation where indigeno#s knowledge of nat#re is e%ploited for commercial gain with no
compensation to the indigeno#s people themselves.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' 6i#(a%i0icati#
6i#(a%i0icati#
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
Biomagnification also known as bioamplification or biological magnification is the increase in
concentration of a s#bstance that occ#rs in a food chain as a conse8#ence ofD
1. Persistence (can-t be broken down by environmental processes)
$. Iood chain energetics Gow (or none%istent)
&. rate of internal degradationPe%cretion of the s#bstance (often d#e to water/insol#bility)







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S#cia$ i..1e.' Hea$t"' IC=R
>?? &ear. #0 IC=R
I()#rtace Le*e$+ G##!
In 1E11 the 9overnment of India had set #p the Indian )esearch I#nd 7ssociation as the premier
national agency for the form#lation promotion and cond#ct of biomedical research in India.
In 1E(E it was re/designated as Indian .o#ncil of 2edical )esearch. I.2) has since blossomed into a
vibrant network of more than &; permanent instit#tesP.enters and over H; field stations employing
over *;;; personnel incl#ding H*; scientists.
I.2) and its nationwide network of Instit#tes has not only done commendable work on several vector
borne diseases bacterial parasitic and viral infections n#trition related aspects cancer genetics
blood disorders h#man reprod#ction and occ#pational health b#t also maintained respect for
traditional medicine and herbal remedies.
I.2) has provided critical research s#pport whenever the health needs of the co#ntry demanded rapid
responses e.g. 47)4 FIV infl#en+a and other new and emerging and remerging infections like deng#e
and co/morbidities (FIV/TB) and the emerging epidemic of life/style diseases.
In addition the .o#ncil en=oys special relationships with international research and f#nding agencies as
the most favored partner in India.

Ge#%ra)"& #0 I!ia' Ec#$#%& a! E*ir#(et' C$i(ate C"a%e
Car-# [email protected]#
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
Car-# [email protected]#
4e8#estration is the carbon/capt#ring method which involves in=ecting the gas directly into
#ndergro#nd geological formations. 'il fields gas fields saline formations #nminable coal seams and
saline/filled basalt formations have been s#ggested as storage sites.
ACar-0i7 Pr#8ectB
It is pro=ect that aims at p#mping carbon deep #ndergro#nd in so#thwest Iceland where it will mi% with
minerals and become rock.
7 primary goal of the .arbIi% pro=ect is to imitate the nat#ral storage process of .'$ already observed
in geothermal fields.
The pro=ect"s implications for the fight against global warming may be considerable since basaltic
bedrock s#sceptive of .'$ in=ections are widely fo#nd on the planet.



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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 5e0ece' CTALD TORPE5O
CTALD TORPE5O
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
CTALD TORPE5O
The Gight 1eight Torpedo has been indigeno#sly developed by the <ational 4cience and Technology
Gaboratory (<4TG) Visakhapatnam.
The Gight 1eight Torpedo (T7G) is an electrically propelled self/ homing Torpedo which can be
la#nched both from ships and helicopters. It can h#nt s#bmarines with a speed of && knots with
end#rance of si% min#tes in shallow and deep waters. The Torpedo weighs aro#nd $$; kgs. B3G(6"arat
5&a(ic. Lt!) is man#fact#ring these Torpedoes at its Visakhapatnam >nit.
Stat1.+ 3efence 2inister handed over the advanced light/weight torpedo T7G to the Indian <avy.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' H&!r#)#ic.
H&!r#)#ic.
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
Fydroponics is a method of growing plants #sing mineral n#trient sol#tions in water witho#t soil.
7 hydroponics green fodder prod#ction #nit which can prod#ce it faster than conventional method of
&;/(* days was ina#g#rated at I.7) research comple% 'ld 9oa.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&'Hea$t"'!r1% a!!icti#
=et"a!#e
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
The 7ll/India Instit#te of 2edical 4ciences (7II24) has la#nched 2ethadone 2aintenance Treatment
(22T) programme at its <ational 3r#g 3ependence Treatment .entre (<33T.) which is the national
nodal centre for dr#g treatment recognised by the >nion 2inistry of Fealth J Iamily 1elfare.
QThis new medication R 2ethadone R has been la#nched for those who are addicted to opioids dr#gs
s#ch as heroinPbrown s#gar on a pilot basis at five centres across India. The pro=ect is a =oint effort of
7II24 and the >nited <ations 'ffice on 3r#gs and .rime (><'3.) )egional 'ffice for 4o#th 7sia
()'47) among others.


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=et"a!#e i. t"e (#.t e7te.i*e$& 1.e! (e!icati# 0#r $#%-ter( treat(et 0#r #)i#i! !e)e!ece3
It also provides the #sers with an opport#nity to restore balance in psychological social and
occ#pational spheres of their lives and assists in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 5e0ece' 6#ei% E-:>A Fa*eri!er
6#ei% E-:>A Fa*eri!er
I()#rtace Le*e$+S#(e,"at I()#rtat
7n #nmanned >.4. military =et designed to fly at hypersonic speeds and travel from Gondon to <ew
Cork in =#st (* min#tes has failed d#ring a trial as it crashed into the Pacific 'cean within seconds of its
la#nch.
It #ses .cra(8et tec"#$#%&3
Previo#sly It s#ccessf#lly completed its first free/flight on $, 2ay $;1;
Scra(8et tec"#$#%&
7 scram=et (.1)er.#ic c#(-1.ti# ra(8et) is a variant of a ram=et airbreathing =et engine in which
comb#stion takes place in s#personic airflow.
7s in ram=ets a scram=et relies on high vehicle speed to forcef#lly compress and decelerate the
incoming air before comb#stion (hence ram=et) b#t whereas a ram=et decelerates the air to s#bsonic
velocities before comb#stion airflow in a scram=et is s#personic thro#gho#t the entire engine. This
allows the scram=et to operate efficiently at e%tremely high speeds.
5<oteD 2issile carries its o%ygen inboard b#t =et #ses atmospheric airPo%ygen 6

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' Per.#a$ ra)i! tra.it (PRT)
P#!-car.'Per.#a$ ra)i! tra.it (PRT)
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
Personal rapid transit (P)T) also called podcar is a p#blic transportation mode feat#ring small
a#tomated vehicles operating on a network of specially b#ilt g#ide ways.
P)T is a type of a#tomated g#ideway transit (79T) a class of system which also incl#des larger vehicles
all the way to small s#bway systems.
In P)T designs vehicles are si+ed for individ#al or small gro#p travel typically carrying no more than &
to , passengers per vehicle
The award winning >GTra P)T system began passenger trials at Gondon Feathrow 7irport Terminal *
in 'ctober $;1; and opened for f#ll passenger service $$ ho#rs a day H days a week in 2ay $;11.


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I Ne,.+
Indian 0%pressD Ior better connectivity to airport 24)3.(2aharashtra 4tate )oad 3evelopment
.orporation) m#lls podcars
The Hin#u: !o#$%a&s to 'ink (a)o& *o&k %ent&es

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' 5V5
5V5 5L'5V5GR 5L
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
3V3S) 3G (3G stands for 3#al Gayer) also called 3V3S)E is a derivative of the 3V3S) format
3V3S) 3G discs employ two recordable dye layers each capable of storing nearly the (.H 9B capacity
of a single/layer disc almost do#bling the total disc capacity to ?.** 9B (or H.E, 9iB).
5V5GR
7 3V3S) is a recordable optical disc.




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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' P#$$1ti#4 #1t!##r a! i!##r
=aa%e(et #0 P#$$1ti# 0r#( =eta$. a! =iera$.
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
Itr#!1cti#+
The saying Qprevention is better than c#reT applies to environmental poll#tion as it does to
diseases.
Th#s technological options sho#ld not =#st be confined to remediation strategies b#t concentrate
on mitigation strategies thro#gh red#ctionReither by total replacement of heavy metalsPminerals
by alternatives or refining the e%isting technologies for red#cing the re8#irement.
Poll#ted environment in any case leads to disease and ill health
Re(e!iati# Tec"#$#%ie.
)elease within safe limits has to be thro#gh three complementary f#nctionsD 1) Technological $)
2anagement (implementation) and &) )eg#latory. 'nce the metal is o#t of the earth"s cr#st it is
diffic#lt to p#t it back into earth despite efforts being made.
Technologies for red#ction sho#ld be cost/ effective and affordable.
2ost ind#stries #se engineering technologies for remediation based on )"&.ic#c"e(ica$ (et"#!..
6i#re(e!iati# (et"#!. #sing plant and microbial systems have also been developed for
detecting poll#tion as well as for remediation.
Technological f#nctions involve development of the treatment scheme whereby the 8#antity and
concentration in the wastePeffl#ent is bro#ght within the stip#lated safe limits.
The responsibility of 2anagement is to ens#re that the right technologies are adopted and monitor
the end res#lt.
)eg#lations are in place to reg#late the release of to%ic metals in the environment to ens#re safety
and health of the workers as well as the p#blic in general.
In India small ind#stries in #norganised sector contrib#te to a great deal of poll#tion.
P"&t#tec"#$#%ie. t# re!1ce t"e -1r!e #0 "ea*& (eta$ $#a!
The techni8#es in BioremediationPPhytoremediation incl#de the application of appropriate plants
for in/sit# risk red#ction thro#gh contaminant removal deto%ification or containment in
contaminated soil sediments and gro#nd water. This strategyPapproach can be #sed along with
or in some cases in place of mechanical clean#p methods. .lean#p can be accomplished to certain
level within the reach of plants" roots.
<00)I has developed several technologies for water and land sectors for waste management as
well as a kit for testing the 8#ality of water.
Geetica$$& (#!i0ie! )$at. 0#r )"&t#re(e!iati#
Both microorganisms and higher plants have been genetically modified for deto%ification of soils
contaminated with heavy metals or minerals.


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Iollowing are some e%amplesD (i) Ra$.t#ia e1tr#)"aH (a nat#ral inhabitant of soil) was
transformed #sing a mo#se gene encoding metallothionein which was e%pressed on the s#rface of
the cell s#rface th#s helping in se8#estering of cadmi#m from the soilA (ii) Transgenic plants of
Ara-i!#).i. t"a$iaa were prod#ced for deto%ification of soils contaminated with either
al#mini#m or arsenic or merc#ry. Ior al#mini#m deto%ification a gene encoding citrate synthase
(.4b) was #sed while for arsenic genes encoding arsenic red#ctase (7rs.) and gl#tamylcysteine
synthase (gamma/0.4) were #sed. 4imilarly for merc#ry deto%ification genes encoding merc#ry
red#ctase and organomerc#rial lyase (mer7 and merB) were #sed.
7part from phytoremediation plants can also be #sed to detect metal poll#tion.
=aa%e(et #0 Nat1ra$ 61r!e #0 Ar.eic a! F$1#ri!e
In areas where water has high load of minerals like arsenic and fl#oride alternative so#rces/ (canal
water rain water harvesting) wo#ld have to be provided not only for drinking water b#t also for
farming. Technologies for de/fl#oridation of drinking water have been developed.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' P#$#i1(
P#$#i1( )#i.#i%
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
Poloni#m is highly dangero#s and has no biological role.
By mass poloni#m/$1; is aro#nd $*;;;; times more to%ic than hydrogen cyanide.
Casser 7rafat"s family la#nched legal action in Irance last month over claims the veteran Palestinian
leader died of radioactive poloni#m poisoning.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' AGRISNET
AGRISNET
I()#rtace Le*e$+S#(e,"at I()#rtat
The 9overnment has prom#lgated the 7gric#lt#re Information 4ystem <etwork (79)I4<0T) in
the co#ntry.
79)I4<0T envisages promotion of e/9overnance by #se of Information J .omm#nication
Technology (I.T).
The ob=ective of the programme is to provide IT enabled services to farmers and also for
comp#teri+ation of vario#s offices in the 4tates in agric#lt#re J allied sectors.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' A!r#i!
A!r#i!
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
7ndroid is a Gin#%/based operating system designed primarily for to#chscreen mobile devices s#ch
as smartphones and tablet comp#ters developed by 9oogle in con=#nction with the 'pen Fandset
7lliance.
along with the fo#nding of the 'pen Fandset 7lliance a consorti#m of ?, hardware software and
telecomm#nication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.
7ndroid was #nveiled in $;;H
by the end of $;1; 7ndroid had become the world-s leading smartphone platform.
It had a worldwide smartphone market share of *EU at the beginning of $;1$
The #ser interface in 7ndroid is based on the concept of direct manip#lation5&&6 #sing single/ and
m#lti/to#ch inp#ts like swiping tapping pinching and reverse pinching to manip#late on/screen
ob=ects.
7ndroid has a rapid release cycle with new ma=or versions being released every si% to nine
months.
7pplications are #s#ally developed in the :ava lang#age #sing the 7ndroid 4oftware 3evelopment
Nit b#t other development tools are available incl#ding a <ative 3evelopment Nit for applications
or e%tensions in . or .SS
9oogle Play is an online software store developed by 9oogle for 7ndroid devices.
7ndroid applications r#n in a sandbo% an isolated area of the operating system that does not have
access to the rest of the system-s reso#rces #nless access permissions are granted by the #ser
when the application is installed.
The so#rce code for 7ndroid is available #nder free and open so#rce software licenses. 7ndroid
BlackBerry i'4(7pple) and 4ymbian(<okia) are the world"s best mobile operating systems.
Fowever there are many differences between their feat#res and performance.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 6i#tec"' -i#ic e&e
6i#ic e&e
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
7 vis#al prosthesis often referred to as a bionic eye is an e%perimental vis#al device intended to
restore f#nctional vision in those s#ffering from partial or total blindness
7rg#s II man#fact#red by 4econd 4ight 2edical Prod#cts Inc. is the only s#ch device to have received
marketing approval.
In <ewsD 7#stralian scientists said on &; 7#g#st $;1$ they had s#ccessf#lly implanted a Oworld firstO
bionic eye prototype describing it as a ma=or breakthro#gh for the vis#ally impaired.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&'6i#tec"'6i#.i(i$ar
6i#.i(i$ar
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
The term biosimilar refers to prod#cts that are marketed after e%piration of patents which are claimed
to have similar properties to e%isting biologic prod#cts. 3#e to the comple%ity of biologics a prod#ct
can only be made that is similar b#t not identical.
Biosimilars are generic impersonations (altho#gh not identical copies) of biotech dr#gs.
2an#fact#ring processes for biologics differ greatly from the man#fact#ring processes for small
molec#le dr#gs.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' =icr#,a*e c##/i%
=icr#,a*e c##/i%
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
In conventional cooking the heat is applied to the o#tside of the food body by cond#ction and then
cond#cted to the interior of the food. Feat generated from within the food by a series of molec#lar
vibrations is the basis for microwave cooking. The advantages of microwave cooking are higher
energy efficiency greater time saving convenience and easy cleaning. The vitamin losses d#ring this
proced#re are small and are comparable to those that occ#r when vegetables are cooked with little
or no water. The disadvantage is less palatability of food.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' 5e!ritic ce$$. (5C.)
N#-e$ PriIe <?>>
I()#rtace Le*e$+ S#(e,"at I()#rtat
'< 'ctober &rd it was anno#nced that this year "s <obel Pri+e was being awarded to Br#ce 7.
Be#tler at the 4cripps )esearch Instit#te in .alifornia and :#les 7. Foffmann at the Irench <ational
.enter for 4cientific )esearch for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate imm#nity and
the other half to )alph 2. 4teinman at )ockefeller >niversity in <ew Cork .ity for his discover y
of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive imm#nity. The pri+e money wo#ld be divided between
Br#ce Be#tler and :#les Foffmann who =ointly shared half the 1; million/kronor (V1.* million)
award and )alph 4teinman wo#ld receive the other half.
Their work has opened #p new aven#es for the development of prevention and therapy against
infections cancer and inflammatory y diseases.
>nfort#nately in the rarest of events and the first in the history of the <obel Pri+e a dead person was
named the la#reate. The <obel 7ssembly didn"t know 4teinman was dead when it chose him as a
winner.
There are two lines of defense mechanism in h#mansWinnate and adaptive imm#nity. The first line of
defense innate imm#nity can destroy invading microorganisms and trigger inflammation
th#s blocking their assa#lt.
If microorganisms break thro#gh this defense
Gine adaptive imm#nity is called into action. 1ith its T and B cells it prod#ces antibodies and killer
cells that destroy infected cells.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' TL5
%TL5
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
7 generic top/level domain (gTG3) is one of the categories of top/level domains (TG3s) s#ch as .ed#
.info .
I.7<< has recently agreed to introd#ce new gTG3sX.
7 top/level domain (TG3) is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical 3omain <ame
4ystem of the Internet.
Ior e%ample in the domain name www.e%ample.com the top/level domain is .com.
Two types of TG3s are in operation nowD gTG3s s#ch as .com or .ed#A and co#ntry code top/level
domains (ccTG3s) like .in (for India) or .#k (for the >nited Ningdom).
HCritici.( #0 e, TL5 )#$ic&+
7llowing private (as against p#blic) TG3s that employ f#ll generic words may hamper the p#blic
interest.

4cience and TechnologyP ITP Bl#e/Ii
6$1e-Fi
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
The Bangalore 3ivision of the 4o#th 1estern )ailway (41)) is all set to la#nch Bl#e/Ii a combination
of Bl#etooth application as well as 1i/Ii connectivity at the station facilitated by )ailTel .orporation of
India the )ailway 2inistry-s telecom arm.
a host of information incl#ding details of arrival and depart#re of trains downloadable games
wallpapers and so on.
1hile a private company is already providing 1i/Ii connectivity at the 2ysore )ailway 4tation the
Bl#etooth facility is a first for Indian )ailways

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ne, Tec"#$#%ie.4 5e*ice. a! 5i.c#*erie.' =eta$$ic (icr#$attice
=eta$$ic (icr#$attice
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
4cientists have developed what they claim is the world-s lightest material W a metal with a density of
;.E mgPcc.


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7 team from the >niversity of .alifornia the .alifornia Instit#te of Technology and the F)G
Gaboratories says that the new material redefines the limits of lightweight materials beca#se of its
#ni8#e Qmicro/latticeT cell#lar architect#re.
The scientists were able to make a material that consists of EE.EE per cent air by designing the ;.;1 per
cent solid at the nanometre micron and millimetre scales
3eveloped for the 3efence 7dvanced )esearch Pro=ects 7gency the novel material co#ld be #sed for
battery electrodes and aco#stic vibration or shock energy absorption

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' T"er(#-(ec"aica$ treat(et(T=T)
T"er(#-(ec"aica$ treat(et(T=T)
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
Thermo/mechanical treatment(T2T) is process to prod#ce high strength steel bars #sed in b#ilding
constr#ction.
The process prod#ces a high strength bar from ine%pensive low carbon steel.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Eer%&' ,a.te t# eer%&
R5F'SRF
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
)ef#se/derived f#el ()3I) or solid recovered f#elP specified recovered f#el (4)I) is a f#el prod#ced by
shredding and dehydrating solid waste (241) with a 1aste converter technology.
)3I consists largely of comb#stible components of m#nicipal waste s#ch as plastics and biodegradable
waste.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' %e!er te.t
Ge!er te.t
I()#rtace Le*e$+Geera$ A,aree..
9ender verification in sports (also known as se% verification or loosely as gender determination or
a se% test) is the iss#e of verifying the eligibility of an athlete to compete in a sporting event that is
limited to a single se%.
The iss#e arose a n#mber of times in the 'lympic games where it was alleged that male athletes
attempted to compete as women in order to win or that an interse%ed person competed as a
woman


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1hile it wo#ld seem a simple case of checking for YY vs. YC chromosomes to determine whether
an athlete is a woman or a man it is not that simple. Iet#ses start o#t as #ndifferentiated and the
C chromosome t#rns on a variety of hormones that differentiate the baby as a male. 4ometimes
this does not occ#r and people with two Y chromosomes can develop hormonally as a male and
people with an Y and a C can develop hormonally as a female.
<owadays gender verification tests typically involve eval#ation by gynecologists endocrinologists
psychologists and internal medicine specialists.
I Ne,.
o In :#ly $;1$ a rape allegation by Pinki Pramanik-s female friend led to medical tests to determine
her gender. Initial private tests claimed to show her to be male. Pramanik disagreed with these
res#lts and police ordered a separate government/led test as part of the trial
o The res#lts at the 44N2 9overnment Fospital were inconcl#sive.
o The .o#rt then directed a chromosome pattern test.
Hi.t#r&
o Indian middle/distance r#nner 4anthi 4o#ndara=an who won the silver medal in ?;; m at the $;;,
7sian 9ames in 3oha Katar failed the gender verification test and was stripped of her medal.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' T"a$i!#(i!e
T"a$i!#(i!e
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
Thalidomide is a sedative dr#g introd#ced in the late 1E*;s that was #sed to treat morning sickness
and aid sleep.
It was sold from 1E*H #ntil 1E,1 when it was withdrawn after being fo#nd to be a ca#se of birth
defects.
I Ne,.+
THE HINDU: 7n 7#stralian woman born witho#t arms and legs *; years ago after her mother took the
dr#g Thalidomide d#ring pregnancy won a m#lti/million/dollar co#rt settlement.






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S#cia$ i..1e.' Hea$t"' HIV-AI5S
6r&#$#%. a! HAART
I()#rtace Le*e$+Geera$ A,aree..
.ompo#nd that fl#shes o#t latent FIV created.
)esearchers have created a collection of QbryologsT W derived from a tiny marine organism that been
shown to activate latent FIV reservoirs with e8#al or greater potency than the original s#bstance. 7
collection of QbryologsT activate hidden reservoirs of the vir#s that c#rrently make the disease nearly
impossible to eradicate.
HAART
Fighly active antiretroviral therapy or F77)T is a therapy for FIV b#t not a complete c#re.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Eer%&' P#,er Fe$t Tec"#$#%&
P#,er Fe$t Tec"#$#%&
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
)esearchers at 1ake Iorest >niversity have developed a new technology called Power Ielt which is
ca)a-$e #0 c#*erti% -#!& "eat t# e$ectricit&3
Power Ielt is constr#cted with carbon nanot#bes that integrated in plastic that feels =#st like fabric
The difference between room and body temperat#re co#ld be eno#gh to deliver eno#gh charge for a
phone call or a flashlight
Power Ielt is still in its nascent stages and does not deliver eno#gh power to make a case for mass
prod#ction.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' Hata*ir1.
Hata*ir1.
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
Hata*ir1. is a life/threatning disease spread to h#mans by rodents that has symptoms similar to
infl#en+a.
It does not spread between h#mans.
The vir#s is fo#nd in the rodent"s #rine and feces b#t it does not make it sick.
India 0ast 7sia strain of the vir#s affects kidneys while the >4 strain affects l#ngs.
I Ne,.+ Fantavir#s back in 7ndhra after 1; yrs / Indian 0%press


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ne, Tec"#$#%ie.4 5e*ice. a! 5i.c#*erie.' Ne, R#-#t.
JSc#1t r#-#tJ (a& .## re)$ace CCTV ca(era - I!ia E7)re..
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
4cientists have developed a new flying robot e8#ipped with the world-s most advanced intelligence
systems which co#ld help spy on and track down criminals easily.
The robot called the Sc#1t can go #p to *;;ft above the gro#nd and can +oom in to a close/#p from a
&;; metres away meaning it may not even be seen while on a mission.

S#cia$ i..1e.' Hea$t"' =a$eria
=a$aria *accie c#(e. c$#.er t# rea$it& - Ti(e. O0 I!ia
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
Two m#lti/national research teams have newly se8#enced malaria genomes revealing new challenges
in efforts to eradicate the parasite.
They foc#s on Plasmodi#m viva% (P. viva%) a species of malaria that afflicts h#mans and the most
prevalent h#man malaria parasite o#tside 7frica and Plasmodi#m cynomolgi (P. cynomolgi) a close
relative that infects 7sian 'ld 1orld monkeys.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 5e0ece' S;-K Rec#
A e, a#!r#e !e*e$#)e! i t"e UL - Ec##(ic Ti(e.
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
7 new -nanodrone- weighing =#st 1E? grammes one of the smallest #nmanned aerial vehicles in the
world has been devised in the >N and is c#rrently being e%amined by the >4 military to take on the
Taliban.







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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' Aer#%ra)"ite
Aer#%ra)"ite
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
7erographite is a synthetic foam consisting of a poro#s interconnected network of t#b#lar carbon.
1ith a density of ;.1? mgPcm& it is claimed to be the $i%"te.t .tr1ct1ra$ (ateria$3
It was developed =ointly by a team of researchers at the >niversity of Niel and the Technical >niversity
of Famb#rg in 9ermany and was 0ir.t re)#rte! i a .cieti0ic 8#1ra$ i M1e <?><3

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Hea$t" ' R"#C
R"#C
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
4cientists claimed to have discovered the gene that enco#rages the spread of breast cancer paving
way for new treatments for the deadly disease.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT'!i.)$a& tec"#$#%ie.
Pr#8ect G$a..
I()#rtace Le*e$+Geera$ A,aree..
Pro=ect 9lass is a research and development program by 9oogle to develop an a#gmented reality head/
mo#nted display (F23).
The intended p#rpose of Pro=ect 9lass prod#cts wo#ld be the hands/free displaying of information
c#rrently available to most smartphone #sers.
'n :#ne $H $;1$ 4ergey Brin demoed the glasses.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' IT' (a$,are
A$1re#
I()#rtace Le*e$+Geera$ A,aree..
7l#reon is a tro=an and bootkit which is designed amongst other things to steal data by intercepting a
system-s network traffic and searching it for #sernames passwords and credit card data.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' S)ace' %aia
Gaia (.)acecra0t)
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
9aia (originally an acronym for 9lobal 7strometric Interferometer for 7strophysics) is a 0#ropean
4pace 7gency (047) space mission in astrometry to be la#nched in 7#g#st $;1&.
9aia is an ambitio#s mission to chart a three/dimensional map of o#r 9ala%y the 2ilky 1ay in the
process revealing the composition formation and evol#tion of the 9ala%y. 9aia will provide
#nprecedented positional and radial velocity meas#rements with the acc#racies needed to prod#ce a
stereoscopic and kinematic cens#s of abo#t one billion stars in o#r 9ala%y and thro#gho#t the Gocal
9ro#p. This amo#nts to abo#t 1 per cent of the 9alactic stellar pop#lation.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' S)ace' =ar. (i..i#
ISi%"t =ISSION
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
In4ight (Interior 0%ploration #sing 4eismic Investigations 9eodesy and Feat Transport) is a proposed
<747 3iscovery Program mission that will place a single geophysical lander on 2ars to st#dy its deep
interior.
B#t In4ight is more than a 2ars mission / it is a terrestrial planet e%plorer that will address one of the
most f#ndamental iss#es of planetary and solar system science / #nderstanding the processes that
shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system (incl#ding 0arth) more than fo#r billion years ago.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ne, Tec"#$#%ie.4 5e*ice. a! 5i.c#*erie.' Scieti.t. tr& t# crac/
(#.## c#!e
SAPRISE
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
Is (onsoon +atte&n %han,in,- In#ia$U. stu#/ *i'' t&/ to 0in# out $ Ti(es O0 In#ia
The )s 1; crore pro=ect / called 4o#th 7sian PrecipitationD 7 4eamless 7ssessment (47P)I40) / is
bringing together aro#nd &* scientists who wo#ld scr#tini+e all factors that impact rainfall in the
region.
The mega programme part of a larger st#dy of the Indian water cycle is being =ointly f#nded with the
ministry of earth sciences (2o04) p#tting in )s &.* crore and the >N government 1million po#nds.


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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ot"er' E/.#
E/.# (#r eLEGS)
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
7 wearable robot helps disabled people walk
O0%oskeleton Gower 0%tremity 9ait 4ystemO
is another hydra#lically powered e%oskeleton system and allows paraplegics to stand and walk with
cr#tches or a walker
0kso is c#rrently #ndergoing f#rther development and clinical trials in rehabilitation centers.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' 6i#tec"' !e.i%er -a-&
5e.i%er -a-&
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
The word designer baby has been defined in '%ford dictionar y as a baby whose genetic make#p
has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilisation to ens#re the
presence or absence of partic#lar genes or characteristics.
The technology behind designer babies is based on Pre/implantation 9enetic 3isorder (P93). The
embryo is created thro#gh In Vitro Iertilisation (IVI). 7 single cell is removed from the embryo within
five days and it is then genetically tested. The parents then decide whether to discard the embryo or
implant it.

Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' Ec#$#%& a! E*ir#(et' 1%NN
1%NN
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
#gEE is a vir#lent strain of old crop disease QBlack 4tem )#st T that has evolved to overcome the
resistance prevalent in wheat varieties d#ring the 9reen )evol#tion of the 1E,;s.
Black 4tem )#st is a disease ca#sed by a f#ngi P#ccinia graminis in wheat.
Presently >gEE does not occ#r in India and all actions are in place to check its entry and to nip it in the
b#d sho#ld it enter the co#ntry.




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Sciece a! Tec"#$#%&' S)ace' S1)er#*ae
S1)er#*ae
I()#rtace Le*e$+ Geera$ A,aree..
7..')3I<9 to the $;11 <obel la#reates in physics the >niverse will end in iceL
it was a million dollar 8#estion whether the >niverse was QopenT (that is keeps on e%panding for
ever probably at an accelerated pace) or QclosedT (slows down in its e%pansion #ltimately
collapsing into a Qbig cr#nchT where all matter will end in a sing#larity). The first wo#ld happen if
Qdark energy T (energy that co#ld not be detected by conventional e8#ipments) dominated the
>niverse and the latter wo#ld happen if the so/called Qdark matter T (matter that does not emit
radiation at observable wavelengths) filled #p the >niverse ca#sing a gravitational collapse. 2ost
astronomers (incl#ding the <obel Ga#reates) believed in the latter scenario and they were in for
a great s#rprise when observations proved the contrary.
The teams reached the concl#sion by observing s#pernova e%plosions at abo#t one/third the
distance to the observable limit of the >niverse (modern estimates p#t the limit of the
observable >niverse at abo#t (, to (H billion light years awayL).
4#pernovae are stars that #ndergo a cataclysmic e%plosion d#ring the end of their lives. <ormally
very heavy stars (more than ten times massive than the 4#n) wo#ld rapidly #se their n#clear f#el
and end #p in an e%plosion that o#tshines the parent gala%y.