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 BIOLOGY & BIOTECH

S.A.R.A.H

 World Health Organization unveils a digital

health promoter prototype S.A.R.A.H harness-
ing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for
public health.
 About S.A.R.A.H.
 A Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health
which uses new language models and cut-
ting-edge technology.
 Provides information across major health topics, including healthy habits and mental health.
 Aims to provide an additional tool for people to realize their rights to health.
 Can support people in developing better understanding of risk factors for some leading causes of
death in world E.g., cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes.

CAR T cell Therapy

 CDSCO granted Market Authorization to NexCAR19, India's first indigenously developed CAR-T
cell therapy.
 It targets CD19, a biomarker for B lympho-
cytes, used in leukemia immunotherapies.
 About CAR T Cell Therapy :
 CAR T-cell therapy, or Chimeric An-
tigen Receptor T-cell therapy, is an
innovative form of immunotherapy
used to treat certain types of cancer.
 modifying a patient's own T cells,
which are a type of immune system
cell, to enhance their ability to recog-
nize and attack cancer cells.
 T-cells are cytotoxic cells that fight
illness and infection.
Three Parent Baby
 Aims : to prevent transmission of mitochondrial diseases from mother to child, leading to serious
health problems
 About : A "three-parent baby" is a human offspring conceived through assisted reproductive tech-
nologies that involve genetic material from three people.
 The biological mother: contributes the nuclear DNA, which determines the vast majority of the
child's physical and genetic traits.
 The Biological father: contributes the sperm, providing half of the child's nuclear DNA.
 A donor: provide healthy mitochondrial DNA, which is located outside the nucleus and is
responsible for energy production in cells.
 Two main techniques used to create three-parent baby:
 Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy (MRT): Removes nucleus from mother's egg and plac-
es it into a healthy donor egg cell.
 Pronuclear Transfer (PNT): Removes pro nuclei from sperm and egg, transferring them into
an enucleated egg.

Scientists Develop Synthetic Embryo Using Stem Cells

 Aims : Impact of genetic disorders and the biological reasons behind recurrent miscarriages and
could provide opportunities to study human embryonic development at later stages.
 Stem cells are undifferentiated, selfrenewing cells. They are characterized by their ability to un-
dergo self-renewal and differentiation into specialized cell types.
 Stem cells hold the potential to treat a variety of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders,
heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and certain cancers.
SICKLE CELL ANEMIA
 Sickle cell Disease (SCD) is a group
of inherited (genetic) red blood
cell disorders.
 Red blood cells (RBCs) contain
hemoglobin, a protein that carries
oxygen.
 In SCD, the hemoglobin is abnor-
mal, which causes the RBCs to be-
come hard and sticky and look like
a C-shaped farm tool called a “sick-
le.”
 transmitted by parents carrying a
defective ‘beta globin’ gene.
 Treatment :
 Gene Therapy: The DNA in-
side the hemoglobin gene is
edited to stop the disease.
 Stem cells Transplant: The bone marrow affected by sickle cell anaemia is replaced with
healthy bone marrow from a donor.
 Blood Transfusion: RBCs are removed from donated blood and given to a patient, but chal-
lenges include a scarcity of donors, fears around safe supply of blood, risk of infection etc

Metagenome Sequencing
 Metagenomics is a field of molecular biology and genomics.
 Enables scientists to study genetic material from complex microorganism mixtures in various en-
vironments.
Operation Amrith (AMRITH - Antimicrobial
Resistance Intervention For Total Health)
 Kerala Drug Control Department has initi-
ated Operation Amrith (Antimicrobial Re-
sistance Intervention For Total Health).
 to curb the overuse of antibiotics in the
state.
 inititatives: the Antibiotic Literate Kerala
Campaign, block-level AMR Committees,
and the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance
Surveillance Network (KARS-NET) for sur-
veillance.

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

 Viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals,
such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.
 Cause: caused by an Aphthovirus of the family
Picornaviridae.
 Treatment : provide immunity to a vaccinated
animal.
 National Animal Disease Control Programme
(NADCP) for FMD: It is a 100% centrally funded
programme, from 2019 to 2024, aims to control
FMD and Brucellosis by 2025 with vaccination and
eventual eradication by 2030.
HAVISURE: INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED HEPATITIS A VACCINE
 Havisure-India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine launched.
 Developed by Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL).
 About Hepatitis:
 Is an inflammation of liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and non-infectious
agents.
 There are five main strains of hepatitis virus i.e. A, B, C, D and E.

R21/Matrix-M Malaria Vaccine

 World Health Organisation (WHO) recom-
mended 2nd new vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, for
the prevention of malaria in children.
 1st vaccine was RTS, S/AS01 vaccine, which
received a WHO recommendation in 2021.
 Developed by: University of Oxford, Serum
Institute of India, European and Developing
Countries Clinical Trials Partnership
('EDCTP'), Welcome Trust and European In-
vestment Bank ('EIB').
 R21/Matrix-M vaccine has already been ap-
proved for use in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and
Nigeria.

MALARIA:
 Malaria, life-threatening, vector-borne disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, transmitted
through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes
 Increased from 245 million cases in 2020 to over 45,000 in India in 2022.
 WHO initiatives include the E-2025 Initiative and the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria
2016-203.
 India launched a 5-year National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination in 2017
 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO):
 Establishment: Founded in 1948 as the United Nations' specialized agency for health.
 Headquarter: located in Geneva, Switzerland.
 Membership: Comprises 194 Member States including India.
 Nature: An intergovernmental organization that collaborates primarily with member states
through their Ministries of Health.

NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

(NTDS
 Diverse group of conditions
caused by a variety of patho-
gens (including viruses, bacte-
ria, parasites, fungi and tox-
ins).
 NTDs are mainly prevalent
among impoverished commu-
nities in tropical areas.
 ‘neglected’ because they are
almost absent from the global
health agenda.

Lymphatic filariasis

 The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has successfully eliminated lymphatic filari-
asis (LF), a mosquito-borne infectious disease, becoming the second country to achieve this in
2023 after Bangladesh.
 Around 19 countries have successfully eliminated LF.
 The elimination of LF contributes to the United Nations' sustainable development goal of
"health for all" by 2030
Tuberculosis (TB)

 India's efforts in tuberculosis (TB) management have received international recognition from the
World Health Organization (WHO) in their 'Global TB Report 2023.'
 India’s Achievements:
 16% reduction in TB incidence from 2015 to 2022, nearly double the global decline rate
of about 8%
 TB mortality in India has decreased by 18% during the same period.
 TB treatment coverage has improved to 80% of estimated cases, representing a 19% in-
crease.
About TB :
 Primarily affects the lungs, is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads
through the air.
 Common medications for TB include isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide.
 Risk factors for TB include diabetes, HIV infection, undernutrition, and tobacco use.
 Drug-resistant TB includes multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and to-
tally drug-resistant (TDR) forms.

 India’s Status:
 2022, India reported over 24 lakh TB cases, with 27% of the world's TB cases.
 Supported by initiatives like the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination
2017-2025, TB Mukt Panchayat Abhiyan, TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign, PM TB
Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, and Nikshay Poshan Yojana for nutritional support to TB patients.

BACTERIOPHAGE
 investigating the use of bacterio-
phages as a treatment for infections
caused by antibiotic-resistant bacte-
ria.
 About :
 discovery of bacteriophages is
credited to Frederick William
Twort in 1915 in Great Brit-
 ain and Felix d'Herelle in 1917 in France.
 also known as phages, are viruses that specifically infect and multiply within bacterial cells.

Yellow Fever
 Infection & Transmission: A viral disease caused by the yellow fever virus, which belongs to the
Flaviviridae family. It is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, particularly
the Aedes aegypti species.
 Symptoms: Headache, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), muscle pain, nausea, vomiting
and fatigue
 Global Programme: Eliminate yellow fever epidemics (EYE) 2017-2026 has been developed by a coali-
tion of partners Gavi, UNICEF and WHO to end yellow fever epidemics by 2026.

Vector Borne Diseases

 Illnesses caused by pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites) that are transmitted to
humans or animals through the bites of infected arthropod vectors.
 Types of Vector-Borne Diseases :
 Mosquito-borne diseases: Malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and yellow
fever
 Tick-borne diseases: Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, and Rocky Mountain spotted
fever.
 Flea-borne diseases: Plague (transmitted by fleas that infest rodents) and murine typhus.
 Fly-borne diseases: African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) transmitted by tsetse flies
and leishmaniasis transmitted by sandflies.

Nipah Virus Infection (NiV)

 Kerala, as many as 153 health workers have
been found in the contact list of the confirmed
cases of Nipah virus infection (NiV).
 Nipah Virus a zoonotic virus which means it is
transmitted from animals to humans.
 Host: Fruit bats are the natural hosts of this vi-
rus and have a high mortality rate.
 Areas: Outbreaks occur almost annually in
parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India.
 Symptoms: Initially fever, headaches, muscle
pain, vomiting.
 Treatment: Currently there are no licensed treatments available for Nipah virus (NiV) infection.

Aarogya Maitri Cube: World’s 1st Portable Disaster Hospital

 Hospital can be airlifted and assembled into 72 cubes that contain essential medical equipment and
supplies.
 Part of Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri).
 hospital includes Operation theatres, mini-ICUs, Ventilators, Blood test equipment, an X-ray ma-
chine, a cooking station, Food, Water, a Shelter, Power generator.
 Part of the “Aarogya Maitri” project, aims to provide essential medical supplies to any developing
country affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the 2023 has been awarded to two scientists Katalin
Kariko and Drew Weissman, for their work enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against
Covid-19.
 About mRNA and mRNA Vaccines :
 mRNA is a crucial molecule in genetics and molecular biology, serving as an intermediary be-
tween DNA and protein synthesis.
 It is a single-stranded molecule composed of nucleotides, synthesized through transcription.
 Its primary function is to carry genetic instructions from DNA to ribosomes, the cellular ma-
chinery responsible for protein synthesis.
 mRNA vaccines introduce a piece of mRNA that corresponds to a viral protein, allowing cells to
produce the viral protein.
 The immune system recognizes the foreign protein and produces antibodies, which remain in the
body even after the body has eliminated the pathogen.
 Antibodies protect the body against infection by recognizing individual viruses or other patho-
gens, attaching to them, and marking them for destruction
 SPACE SCIENCE

ARYABHATA
 ISRO celebrated Satellite Technology Day (STD) commemorating the 50th year of the Aryabhata
Launch in 1975.
 About Aryabhata :
 India’s first satellite, named after the fa-
mous Indian astronomer in the 5th century.
 Built by the ISRO and launched by a Soviet
Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar
(Russia).
 Aimed to conduct experiments in X-ray
astronomy, aeronomics, and solar phys-
ics

KODAIKANAL SOLAR OBSERVATORY (KSO)

 KSO is entered to its 125th year of establishment
 Est. in 1899 and subsumed then Madras Observatory.
 Set up to obtain data on how Sun heats up Earth’s atmosphere and to understand monsoon
patterns.
 Kodaikanal was chosen for its proximity to equator and its dust-free high-altitude location.
 Observatory is currently under Indian Institute of Astrophysics and is located in Palani range
(Tamil Nadu).
 Also houses telescopes like H-alpha telescope, Twin Telescope, WARM (White light Active Region
Monitor) telescope etc.

PACE satellite
 NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite was successfully launched
on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit.
 PACE aims to study how climate change impacts ocean phytoplankton blooms, which are
crucial for the marine food web.
 Additionally, it will investigate the influence of airborne particles on cloud formation and the
Earth's temperature regulation.

India’s AstroSat has Made a New Discovery on the Black Hole Binary System
 India’s AstroSat satellite found an interesting event happening around the black hole X-ray binary
system called “Swift J1727.8-1613”.
 AstroSat, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory.
 black hole X-ray binary system consists of a black hole and a normal star orbiting each other.
 High-energy X-rays are emitted as the black hole accretes matter from its companion star.

About AstroSat:
 AstroSat was launched by ISRO on September 28, 2015.
 India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space telescope.
 AstroSat’s orbit is about 650 kilometres closer to Earth than Hubble‘s.

Chandrayaan 3
 Launched by Launch Vehicle Mark-III or
LVM3 from, Sriharikota.
 Become the 4th country along with the
United States, China and Russia.
 follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2.
 Consists of:
o Lander module (LM): for soft landing
and deployment Rover.
o Propulsion module (PM): To carry
the lander and rover configuration till
100 km lunar orbit.
o Rover: carry out in-situ chemical
analysis of the lunar surface.
 About LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3
(LVM3) (previously known as GSLV-MK
III):
 o Heavy lift launch vehicle of ISRO for achieving a 4000 kg spacecraft launching capability to
GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit).
o three-stage vehicle with two solid strap-on motors (S200), one liquid core stage (L110) and
a high thrust cryogenic upper stage (C25).

 Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander made a soft landing, named Shiv Shakti Point.
 Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 named as Tiranga Point

Recent Lunar Missions:

 Chang'e 4 - China (CNSA) First spacecraft to soft land on the far side of the Moon (South Pole–
Aitken basin).
 CAPSTONE: United States (NASA) Lunar orbiting CubeSat testing and verifying the calculated or-
bital stability planned for the Gateway space station.
 Artemis 1 : United States (NASA) Uncrewed test of Orion spacecraft in lunar flyby and lunar Distant.
 Luna 25 : Russia (Roscosmos) failed orbital maneuver in 2023.
 Hakuto-R Mission : Japan (ispace) Lunar lander technology demonstration with a failed landing
due to a software bug.
 SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) : Japan (JAXA) Lunar lander (Hopper) and rover
technology demonstration, was successful in jan 2024.
 LUPEX( Lunar Polar Exploration Mission) : ISRO and JAXA , to explore the south pole region of the
Moon in 2026.
Gaganyaan Mission: Names of Four Astronauts
 Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad
Pratap,Wing Commander Subhanshu Shukla.
 About: Gaganyaan mission is a space mission to demonstrate ISRO’s human spaceflight capa-
bility by launching a human crew to an orbit of 400 km and bringing them safely back to earth.
 GSLV Mk III, also known as LVM-3, will be used as a launch vehicle in Gaganyaan mission.
 Orbital Module, Service Module and Crew Module will be used.
 A humanoid robot known as Vyommitra is expected to be onboard the second uncrewed Ga-
ganyaan mission.

Aditya-L1: India's First Solar Mission

 Launched: September 2, 2023
 Mission objective: Study the Sun from a halo or-
bit around L1.
 Launch vehicle: PSLV XL
 Previous space agencies: Europe, US, Japan and
China.
 Remote Sensing Payloads:
o Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
o Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (So-
LEXS)
o Visible Emission Line Coronograph (VELC)
o High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrome-
ter (HEL1OS)
 In-situ payloads:
o Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA)
o Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
o Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometer.

Launch Vehicle:
 Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV): first rocket developed by ISRO
 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV): 2000 kg into space up to 600-900 km, launched two space-
craft :Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013
 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) : heavier payload (up to 5,000 kg up to 37,000
km
 GSLV MKIII (now known as Launch Vehicle Mark-III, LVM3): to launch a 4-ton (4000 kg), Gagan-
yaan mission, launched Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft 2019.

INSAT-3DS(“Naughty boy”)
 Launch date : 17th Feb, 2024
 Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, AP.
 Rocket: GSLV-F14
 About :
 [Link]-generation meteorological satellite to enhance
monitoring of the Earth’s surface, atmosphere, oceans and envi-
ronment.
GSLV known to be “Naughty “ for its highest failure rate.
K2-18 B Exoplanet
 NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has identified.
 Exoplanets, short for extrasolar planets, are worlds orbiting stars outside our own solar sys-
tem.

NAVIC integration in smartphone

 About NAVIc: originally approved in 2006 but oper-
ational in 2018.
 Objective : to remove dependency on foreign satel-
lite systems for navigation service requirement.
 also known as IRNSS(Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System), navigation satellite system
 Offers : SPS(Standard Position Service) for civilian us-
ers and Restricted Service(RS) for strategic users.
 Features:
 Designed with constellation of 7 satellite and
network of ground stations.
 Total eight satellites (7 active).
 covers whole India’s landmass upto 1500km from
boundaries.
 No of satellites in orbit : 3 in Geostationary and 4 in Geosynchronous orbit
 Recently Govt is keen to integrate NavIC into smartphone hardware by 2025

Space Internet- Other Initiatives

 Starlink: SpaceX's Starlink project aims to offer high-speed internet access to any location on Earth
using a constellation of thousands of satellites..
 Jio Space Fiber: India's first satellite-based giga fiber service to provide high-speed broadband to
previously inaccessible geographies within the country.
 One Web: backed by Airtel, is a low-Earth orbit satellite network provider that offers high-speed in-
ternet to vessels at sea.
Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START)
 Aim & Objective: To provide introductory-level training in Space Science and Technology.
 Target Group: Post-graduate and final-year undergraduate students of physical sciences and
technology.
 Delivery Mode: Online training programme through the Jigyasa portal.
 Other Programmes:
 The ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has also announced two short courses- Re-
mote Sensing Data Acquisition and Remote Sensing Data Processing.
 The courses are conducted through the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in
Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP).

JUICE (JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLORER) MISSION

 First time that the European Space Agency (ESA) has sent a spacecraft beyond the asteroid belt.
 spend at least three years to observe, giant gaseous planet Jupiter and three of its largest
moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.
 Facts on Jupitar :
 Largest Planet in solar planet aka Jovian or Gas Giant Planets.
 more than 75 moons(Ganymed- largest moon in Solar System.
 Great Red Spot.
NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER
 Scientific achievement by generating oxygen on Mars.
 Experimental device known as the Mars Oxygen InSitu Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE),
which is integrated into the rover.
 ABOUT MARS:
 Also known as the Red Planet.
 It is the fourth planet from the Sun.
 It is the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, bigger than mercury only.
 Has two natural satellites: Phobos and Deimos
 Its atmosphere is 100 times thinner than the earth with little oxygen present.
 Its gravity is nearly 38% of Earth.
 It is revolving on the edge of the Goldilock Zone in the Solar System.

Parker Solar Probe

 Launch date : 12th Aug, 2018.
 Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida,
 Objective: To study the structure and dynamics of the Sun's corona, the Sun's magnetic field,
and the solar wind.
 In December 2021, the Parker Probe reached the atmosphere of the sun.
 Features:
 Mass: 685 kilograms at launch.
 Scientific Instruments: Fields Experiment (FIELDS), Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun
(ISIS), Wide Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR), Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons
(SWEAP).

OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft
 Launch date : 8th Sept 2016
 NASA spacecraft mission designed to study the near-Earth asteroid called Bennu.
 Reached its asteroid target in 2018.
 Spacecraft returned from asteroid Bennu with
some sample.
7 year journey and renamed OSIRIS-
APEX(Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Re-
source Identification, and Security-
Apophis Explorer

TAIFA 1 MISSION
 Launch date: 15th April, 2023.
 Launch site: Vandenberg Base in California.
Kenya's first operational Earth observation satellite, “Taifa-1,” was successfully launched into space

Defence Technology

OPERATION IRON SHIELD

 Israel's interception of drones and missiles successfully launched by Iran and named operation
“Iron Shield”.
 Israel is protected by a multi-layered defence array, which includes Arrow-2, Arrow-3, David's
Sling, and Iron Dome active defence systems.
  Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 intercepts medium to long-range missiles while David’s Sling intercepts
short to medium and medium to long range missiles.
 Iron Dome is world’s first missile defense system developed to tackle threat of short range
rockets and UAVs.
 It is capable of handling multiple incoming threats simultaneously.

KAMIKAZE DRONES
 India’s first kamikaze drone has been developed by Kadet Defence Systems in collaboration with
Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).
 Also known as Loitering Aerial Munitions (LAM) or Suicidal drone (crashes onto target) or
Switchblade drones.
Features:
 target area for a long duration (Around 12 hours) for precise target identification.
 Has precision target capability, can change targets mid-flight or even abort the mission.
 Adaptable to various terrains, including deserts, plains, and high-altitude environments.
 Flying range: 150 km to 300 kilometers.

SMART
 SMART DRDO has conducted a successful
test of the Supersonic Missile Assisted
Torpedo (SMART), aimed at enhancing the
Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
 enables torpedoes to achieve much longer
ranges than before, with potential dis-
tances of up to 1000 km.
 can be launched from both coasts and war-
ships.
 The canister-based missile system com-
prises several advanced subsystems includ-
ing two-stage solid propulsion and preci-
sion inertial navigation.
DRDO anti-drone tech - Drone, Detect, Deter and Destroy (D4 System)
 focusing on the detection, identification, and neutralization of drones.
 designed to counter various types of drones, including micro drones, and is suitable for land
borders.
 Utilizing the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

New Generation AKASH missile

 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a flight test.
 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
 a high-speed unmanned aerial target at a very low altitude.
 About AKASH NG Missile:
 AKASH-NG is a medium-range, mobile surface-to-air missile defense system.
 It's a state-ofthe-art missile system that can intercept high-speed, agile aerial threats with a range
of around 80 km.

Agni Prime
 Designed and developed by the Defence
Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO).
 New generation ballistic missile was suc-
cessfully test fired off the coast of Odisha.
 Agni Prime is a two-stage canisterised sol-
id-propellant missile with dual redundant nav-
igation and guidance system.
 surface-to-surface ballistic missile has a
range of 1000 to 2000 km.
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)
 It was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme to research and develop a comprehensive range
of missiles.
 It was launched in 1982-83. It was conceived by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The programme was
managed by the DRDO and Ordinance Factory Board in partnership with other Indian government
political organisations.
 The 5 missiles developed under this program:
 Prithvi: Short range surface to surface ballistic missile.
 Agni: Intermediate-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile
 Trishul: Short-range low-level surface to air missile.
 Akash: Medium range surface to air missile.
 Nag: 3rd generation fire and forget anti-tank missile.

Varunastra
 Indigenously designed and developed heavy-weight torpedo (HWT) Varunastra was recently suc-
cessfully test-fired.
 Ship launched, heavy weight, electrically-propelled anti-submarine torpedo capable of targeting
quiet submarines, both in deep and shallow waters.
 Designed and developed by Vizag-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) un-
der the DRDO and is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL).
 Torpedo :
A torpedo is essentially a guided missile that happens to "fly" underwater. A torpedo therefore has
a propulsion system, a guidance system and some sort of explosive device.
Light Combat Helicopter Prachand
 Indian Army's Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand recently conducted its inaugural firing dur-
ing both day and night operations.
 The Prachand is India's first indigenous multi-role combat helicopter with range- 700 km.
 It was developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Fighter jets

Astra missiles
 Indian air-to-air missiles.
 developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
 beyond-visual-range (BVRAAM) missile that uses radar guidance to navigate and position the target.
 already integrated into the SU-30MKI.

'Pralay' ballistic missiles

 Developed by the Défense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
 longest-range surface-to-surface missile in the Army's inventory
 'Pralay' has a strike range of 150 to 500 kilometres and can carry a conventional warhead of 350
kg to 700 kg.
 technology to counter interceptor missiles.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

IIT Bombay, TCS Develop India’s First Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager
 Quantum diamond computer imager works in a way that is similar to MRIs work in hospitals.
 Indian-made imager uses quantum diamond microscopy along with software that is better at AI
and machine learning
 Part of the “Second Quantum Revolution,” which is moving quickly and needs people with skills
in sensing, computing, and communication tools to work together.

DeepFakes
 created by altering media — images, video, or
audio using technologies such as AI and machine
learning, thereby blurring the lines between fiction
and reality.
 utilizes artificial neural networks, modeled after
the human brain.
 there is no specific legislation directly targeting
deepfake technology.
 Global Measures Against Deep Fakes:
 Bletchley Declaration: More than 25 major countries, including India, the United States,
China, Japan, and the UK, have joined the Bletchley Declaration.
 Digital Services Act of EU:
 Google's Announcements: Google has introduced tools such as watermarking to identify
synthetically generated content.
 US senators propose DEFIANCE Act.
PROJECT GEMINI
 Launched by Google as
an artificial intelligence
(AI) model crafted to
mimic human behavior
closely.
 Aim : To improve the re-
sponsiveness and effec-
tiveness of Google's AI-
driven chatbot, Bard,
especially in tasks that
require careful planning.

About AI
Branch of computer science
dedicated to creating sys-
tems that can perform
tasks which typically re-
quire human intelligence.
 Types of Artificial Intel-
ligence : Narrow or Weak
AI(chatbots), Generative
AI (Generative models
like GPT-3) by OpenAI,
Frontier AI( Quantum
AI).
AIRAWAT (AI Research, Analytics, and Knowledge Assimilation Platform)
 India's AI Supercomputer AIRAWAT has been ranked at No. 75 (Top 500 lists) in the world at the
International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023) in Germany.
 AIRAWAT is an AI-based cloud computing infrastructure installed (under National Program on AI) at
C-DAC, Pune.
 Initiative by: NITI Aayog, announced in June 2018.

Other Indian Supercomputers In The Top 500 List

 PARAM Siddhi-AI supercomputer ranked at No. 131: Installed at Center for Development of
Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune.
 Pratyush supercomputer ranked at No. 169: Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. • Mihir
supercomputer at No. 316: National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting.

'YUVAi - Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI' Scheme

 Launched by: National e-Governance Division (NeGD) in partnership with Intel India.
 Aim : To enhance the understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among school students in clas-
ses 8 to 12 nationwide

5G AND 6G TECHNOLOGY
 The introduction of 5G services took place in October 2022.
Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR)
 Telangana signs agreement
with World Economic Forum
for setting up Centre for Indus-
trial Revolution (C4IR) in Hy-
derabad.
 About 4I R
 Term was coined by Klaus
Schwab, founder of the
World Economic Forum
(WEF) in 2016.
 4I means the digital transfor-
mation of the manufacturing
industry by new technologies such as artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, augment-
ed/virtual reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Lithium Exploration
 India signed an agreement between Khanij
Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) and Argentina's
state-owned enterprise, Catamarca Minera y En-
ergética Sociedad del Estado (CAMYEN SE),
 marking the first-ever lithium exploration and
mining project by an Indian government compa-
ny.
 KABIL is a joint venture, involving NALCO,
MECL, and HCL.
 Argentina, as part of the “Lithium Triangle”
along with Chile and Bolivia, is a significant pro-
ducer of lithium, holding the world’s third-largest
lithium reserve.

Zero Trust Authentication (ZTA)

 Indian government has established a se-
cure e-mail system for 10,000 users in
critical ministries and departments due
to increasing threat of cyberattacks.
 developed by the National Informatics
Centre (NIC).
 The e-mail system operates on Zero
Trust Authentication (ZTA).
 Include two-factor authentication with
options like facial recognition or biometrics, and log-in and log-out times are recorded and
monitored.
Fourth-generation nuclear plant
 China has launched the world's
first commercial operations of a
fourth-generation gas-cooled nu-
clear reactor power plant.
 it is high temperature reactors
cooled by gas instead of pressur-
ized water.
 a capacity of up to 300 MW per
unit, with more efficient and cost-
effective.