Current Affairs search results for tag: science-and-technology
By admin: Nov. 30, 2022

1. Agnikul inaugurates India’s first private space vehicle launchpad in Sriharikota

Tags: Science and Technology

India’s first private space vehicle launchpad

Chennai-based space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos launched India’s first private launchpad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on 28 November.

Important facts

  • The facility was inaugurated by ISRO chairman S Somanath.

  • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has supported the private Company AgniKul Cosmos for setting up the launchpad. 

  • The Company has planned a tech demonstration mission.

  • This facility has two parts—the Agnikul launchpad and the Agnikul mission control centre—which are four kilometres apart.

  • The launchpad is designed to accommodate and support liquid stage-controlled launches. 

  • The Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos plans to launch its Agnibaan rocket from this launchpad.

About Agnibaan Rocket

  • Agnibaan is a highly customizable two-stage rocket from Agnikul, capable of carrying a payload of up to 100 kg in orbit (low-Earth orbit) at an altitude of about 700 km with a plug-and-play configuration.

  • The Agnibaan rocket will be powered by the company’s 3D-printed Agnilet engines.

  • The Agnibaan rocket is a “semi-cryogenic” engine that uses a mixture of liquid kerosene and supercold liquid oxygen to propel itself.


By admin: Nov. 29, 2022

2. WHO has changed the name of Monkeypox disease to mpox

Tags: Science and Technology International News

WHO has changed the name of Monkeypox disease to mpox

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 28 November 2022 has announced that it will term “mpox” as a synonym for  monkeypox. Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while “monkeypox” is phased out.

WHO said that the disease's original name was considered “racist and stigmatizing’ in certain countries of the world. After complaints from some member countries WHO decided to rename the disease.

Assigning names to new and, very exceptionally, to existing diseases is the responsibility of WHO under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkeypox disease as a "public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)", on 23 July 2022.It is the highest level of health alert which is issued by WHO.  

Monkeypox disease 

  • Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa.
  •  It was first identified in monkeys in 1958 hence it is called Monkeypox. It was first identified in humans in 1970.
  • Because it was transmitted from animal to human it is called zoonotic disease.
  • The first case of Monkeypox in the country was also reported from Kollam district of Kerala on July 14.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

  • The World Health Organisation is a specialised agency of the United Nations which was founded on 7 April, 1948.
  • Headquarters of WHO : Geneva, Switzerland 
  • Director General of WHO:  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia.
  • Member Countries : 194


By admin: Nov. 29, 2022

3. World’s first Intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC gets DCGI approval for Covid booster doses

Tags: Science and Technology

World’s first Intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC gets DCGI approval

Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) has announced on 29 November that the iNCOVACC vaccine has become the world's first intra-nasal vaccine to receive primary series and heterologous booster approval.

Important facts

  • Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) is a global leader in vaccine innovation and developer of vaccines for infectious diseases.

  • Now iNCOVACC (BBV154) can be used in India under restricted use in emergency from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for heterologous booster dose for age above 18 years.

  • This nasal vaccine is the second approved COVID-19 vaccine in India after Biological E's Corbevax, which can be used as a mix-and-match booster shot.

  • iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

  • iNCOVACC has been specially formulated to allow intranasal delivery via nasal drops.


By admin: Nov. 26, 2022

4. ISRO launches PSLV-C54 rocket carrying earth observation satellite Oceansat & 8 nanosatellites

Tags: Science and Technology

ISRO launches PSLV-C54 rocket

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched PSLV C 54 and eight nanosatellites, into space from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on 26 November.

Important facts

  • This is the 56th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle of ISRO and 24th flight of the extended PSLV-XL version. 

  • The mission payloads including Oceansat (PSLV C 54) and eight other nanosatellites have separated in the specified two hours in two different sun-synchronous orbits.

  • Specific data from the satellite will be used by the Government departments. 

  • Mission Director S.R.Biju said PSLV rockets are the workhorses of ISRO.

  • the payloads are indigenous and will provide crucial Data including maritime security and  detection of cyclones in potential zones.

  • The customer payloads are ISRO Nano Satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B), Anand, four satellites of Astrocast, and two satellites of Thybolt.

  • The mission objective is to ensure data continuity of ocean color and wind vector data to sustain the operational applications.


By admin: Nov. 25, 2022

5. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Inaugurates 63rd STPI at Davanagere, Karnataka

Tags: place in news Science and Technology Person in news State News

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Inaugurates

The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated a Digital India Startup hub at the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) centre at Davanagere, Karnataka on 25 November 2022.

This is the 63rd STPI centre in the country and the fifth in Karnataka.

The minister said that India has the fastest growing innovation system with more than 80,000 Startups and over 107 Unicorns, the Minister said the world today looks at India with awe and respect.

Software Technology Park of India (STPI)

It was set up in 1991 by the under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

It was set up to promote Software to promote the development and export of software and software services including Information Technology (I.T.) Enabled Services / Bio-IT.

It aims to be the largest technology Startup ecosystem in the country and to transform the country into a software product nation. 

The total export from STPI in 2020-21was Rs. 4, 96,313 crores, which is around 50% of the national software exports and 2.3% of India’s GDP in 2020-21.

Director General of STPI : Arvind Kumar


By admin: Nov. 24, 2022

6. Europe announces name of world's first disabled astronauts

Tags: Science and Technology International News

Europe announces name of world's

The European Space Agency announced the name of the first "parastronaut" on 23 November in a major step towards allowing people with physical disabilities to work and live in space.

Important facts

  • The 22-nation European Space Agency said it selected former British Paralympic runner John McFall as part of a new generation of 17 recruits selected for astronaut training.

  • He will participate in a feasibility study designed to allow ESA to assess the conditions needed for people with disabilities to participate in future missions.

  • Five new astronauts have been roped in to take part in the training after ESA replenished its astronaut ranks for the first time since 2009.

  • The EAS received 257 applications for the role of an astronaut with a disability, designated a "parastronaut".

  • McFall, who lost his right leg due to a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, won a bronze medal in the 100 metres at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.


By admin: Nov. 24, 2022

7. ISRO successfully launches 200th 'RH-200' Rohini sounding rocket

Tags: Science and Technology

ISRO successfully launches 200th

ISRO's versatile sounding rocket RH200 carried out its 200th consecutive successful launch from the coast of Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram on 23 November.

Important facts

  • The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) termed it a "historic moment". It was witnessed by former President Ram Nath Kovind and ISRO Chairman S Somnath, among others.

  • The successful flight of RH200 took off from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS).

  • Indian sounding rockets are used as privileged instruments for the scientific community to conduct experiments on meteorology, astronomy and similar branches of space physics.

  • Indian sounding rockets are used as privileged instruments for the scientific community to conduct experiments on meteorology, astronomy and similar branches of space physics.

  • The national space agency headquarters said the Rohini sounding rocket series has been the forerunner to ISRO's heavier and more complex launch vehicles.

  • The 200th consecutive successful flight is a testimony to the commitment of Indian rocket scientists towards the unmatched reliability demonstrated over the years.



By admin: Nov. 22, 2022

8. Yogi Adityanath inaugurates the UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 at Noida

Tags: place in news Science and Technology State News

UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 at Noida

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 at the Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida on 22 November 2022.

The Hackathon has been organized by the Union Ministry of Education and students from 22 African countries are participating in the Hackathon.

What is a Hackathon? 

A hackathon, also known as a codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software. In the present Hackathon students will engage themselves in coding for 36 hours non-stop to find technology-based solutions for issues in education, agriculture, health, energy and drinking water, among others. They will also try to figure out smart solutions for global issues such as climate change, environmental issues, and renewal energy.

The students participating in the Hackathon have come from countries, including Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The U.P. CM also invited participating African students to travel to ancient cities like Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, and others in the state.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) 

  • It is a specialised agency of the United Nations.
  • It was set up on 16 November 1945.
  • Its Headquarters : Paris, France


By admin: Nov. 21, 2022

9. Over 60 people dead in the Indonesian earthquake

Tags: place in news Science and Technology International News

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 60 people and injured hundreds in Indonesia's West Java province on 21 November 2022. However the death toll is likely to rise further as many are still trapped under the rubbles.

The epicentre was near the town of Cianjur in West Java, about 75 km (45 miles) southeast of the capital, Jakarta.

Indonesia lies across the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the Earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake off Sumatra Island in northern Indonesia triggered a tsunami that struck 14 countries, killing 226,000 people along the Indian Ocean coastline, more than half of them in Indonesia.

Earthquake

Earthquakes happen when the plates of the earth collide with each other. The earth's lithosphere consists of 7 major plates and they float over the molten surface of the upper mantle. When they collide energy waves are released which causes vibration on the surface of the Earth known as Earthquake.

The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.

Earthquakes are recorded by instruments called seismographs. The recording they make is called a seismogram. 

The scale for measuring earthquakes is called the Richter scale. It is a mathematical scale used to measure the intensity of earthquake waves. It ranges from 0 to 9. However it can be more than 9. 


By admin: Nov. 21, 2022

10. India and European Union sign agreement for cooperation in high-performance computing

Tags: National Science and Technology

cooperation in high-performance computing

India and the European Union (EU) have signed an agreement on cooperation in hi-tech areas such as climate modelling and quantum technologies on 21 November 2022. This agreement seeks to implement the provision of the India-EU TTC (Trade and Technology Councilagreement signed during the visit of the European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 25 April 2022 at New Delhi.

The agreement named ‘Intent of Cooperation on High Performance Computing (HPC), Weather Extremes and Climate Modelling and Quantum Technologies’ was signed by the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) during a virtual ceremony. The agreement was signed by MeitY secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma and DG CONNECT director general Roberto Viola.

The agreement aims to facilitate collaboration on high performance computing applications using Indian and European supercomputers in areas such as bio-molecular medicines, Covid-19 therapeutics, mitigating climate change, predicting natural disasters and quantum computing.

India-EU TTC (Trade and Technology Council

The India-EU TTC (Trade and Technology Council) was established between India and the European Union during the visit of the   European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 25 April 2022 at New Delhi.

The India-EU TTC (Trade and Technology Council) is a strategic mechanism that gives New Delhi access to advanced technologies and allows the two sides to set standards in crucial areas such as 5G and artificial intelligence. 

This is the first such trade and technology council set up by India with any of its partners. 

India is the second country after the United States of America with which the European Union has signed such an agreement.

European Union 

The European Union is a group of 27 European countries. 

The United Kingdom which was the founding member of the European Union has left the organisation.

It was founded on 1 November 1993 

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium