1. Meghalaya Government launches ‘Asia's first Drone delivery hub for easy access to healthcare’
Tags: Science and Technology State News
The Meghalaya government in partnership with Startup TechEagle has unveiled Asia's first drone delivery hub and network Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network (MDDN), which is aimed at providing universal access to healthcare for the people in the state.
The Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network (MDDN) project is aimed at delivering vital supplies like drugs, diagnostic samples, vaccines, blood and blood components quickly and safely to different regions of the state using a dedicated drone delivery network.
The first official drone flight took off from Jengjal Sub Divisional Hospital on 5 December 2022, which acts as the hub, and delivered medicines to Padeldoba primary health centre in less than 30 minutes, which would otherwise have taken 2.5 hours by road.
It expected that the Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network (MDDN) would bring universal access to healthcare for 2.7 million people of Meghalaya.
Now with the help of drones, it will be possible to overcome the problem of lack of visibility, high delivery costs, outdated technology and inaccessibility through roads and railway networks and deliver better healthcare facilities to people of Meghalaya.
State of Meghalaya
It is also known as the abode of clouds. It is one of the 8 North Eastern states of India.
It became a state on 21 January 1972.
Governor: B.D.Mishra
Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma
Capital: Shillong
2. Delhi Police to design high-frequency radio system
Tags: Science and Technology State News
Delhi Police is set to design, install and supply the ‘Open Standard Digital Trunking Radio System’ (OS-DTRS) and will phase out the current tetranet wireless network services.
About Rs 100 crore will be spent on this project, for which tenders were issued on 2 December.
About OS-DTRS System
It will be a more efficient internal communication system, aimed at a faster exchange of information and bigger networks.
This system provides multiple channels and common groups for policemen.
It will also have a voice logger system, which can be used to describe a crime scene, interrogation details and evidence.
The project’s master site will be at the Delhi Police Head Quarters.
Police are looking for private companies to run the system on 800 MHz frequency band and microwave links.
The master site will have OS-DTRS control and switching equipment, a network management system, 90 IP-based logger systems and a large LED display.
Around 15,000 concurrent radio sets will be made first and later expanded to 30,000 over time.
This system will run for at least 10 years and will fix network problems faced by police personnel.
3. IIT Madras researchers develop technology to generate electricity from Sea Waves
Tags: Science and Technology
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Researchers have developed an 'Ocean Wave Energy Converter' that can generate electricity from sea waves.
Important facts
The trials of this device were successfully completed during the second week of November 2022.
The system, named 'Sindhuja-I', was deployed by the researchers about six kilometres off the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, where the sea depth is about 20 metres.
Sindhuja-I can currently produce 100 watts of power. It will generate one megawatt of power in the next three years.
The research team plans to deploy a remote water desalination system and a surveillance camera at the location by December 2023.
What is Sindhuja-I system?
The system has been named 'Sindhuja-1', which means 'originating from the ocean'.
The system consists of a floating buoy, a spar and an electrical module.
As the wave moves up and down, the buoy moves up and down. In the current design, a balloon-like system called a 'buoy' has a central hole that allows a long rod called a spar to pass through.
The spar can be attached to the seabed, and passing waves will not affect it, while the buoy will move up and down and generate relative motion between them.
Relative motion drives an electric generator to generate electricity. In the current design the spar floats and a mooring chain keeps the system in place.
4. Anurag Thakur inaugurates Virtual Drone E-learning platform at Agni College of Technology
Tags: Science and Technology
Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur on 6 December inaugurated the Virtual Drone E learning platform at Agni College of Technology at Chengalpet near Chennai.
Important facts
He also flagged off the first-of-its-kind drone yatra.
Drone technology is essential for defence, agriculture, horticulture, cinema and could substitute for many areas.
At least one lakh drone pilots will be made under the make in India scheme in two years time by the Garuda Aerospace Technology in Chengalpet District.
India is making significant progress in developing cutting edge in drone technology.
Drone technology can be used to stop illegal mining and can create a massive impact on agriculture.
About Drone Yatra
Garuda Aerospace’s drone yatra, ‘Operation 777’, inaugurated for agricultural uses is set to cover 777 districts to ease agricultural work across the country.
The Drone Yatra will help farmers understand more about the technology and give them a better perspective on how to grow crops.
Drones are truly revolutionary for the agriculture ecosystem and Garuda Aerospace is continuously moving forward to help farmers with effective agriculture techniques with the help of drones.
Garuda Aerospace will be manufacturing more than 1 lakh drones in the next 2 years.
Kisan Drones currently being developed by Garuda are fitted with sensors, cameras, and sprayers that help in increasing food crop productivity, reduce crop loss, reduce farmer exposure to harmful chemicals.
5. Scientists urge Andhra Pradesh govt to protect glacial-period coastal red sand dunes of Vizag
Tags: Science and Technology State News
Geologists have said recently that the coastal red sand dunes of Vizag, have much significance geologically, archaeologically, and anthropologically and it needs to be protected.
About Coastal red sand dunes
The Coastal Red Sand Dunes also known as 'Era Matty Dibbalu' is one of the many important sites in Visakhapatnam which have geological significance.
The site is situated along the coast and is about 20 km north-east of Visakhapatnam city and about 4 km south-west of Bheemunipatnam.
The site was declared as a Geo-Heritage Site by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in 2014.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh listed it under the category of 'protected sites' in 2016.
Significance of Coastal red sand dunes
Such sand deposits are rare and are found only in three places in tropical areas in South Asia – Terry Sands in Tamil Nadu, Era Matti Dibbalu in Visakhapatnam and one place in Sri Lanka.
Preserving this site is important, as its study can help understand the impact of climate change, as Era Matti Dibbalu has witnessed glacial and warm climate periods.
The site is about 18,500 to 20,000 years old and it can be related to the last glacial period.
They are anthropologically and archaeologically important as they possibly contain Mesolithic and neolithic cultural materials as well.
6. Scientists revive nearly 48,500-year-old 'Zombie Virus' from bottom of frozen lake in Russia
Tags: Science and Technology International News
French scientists have warned of the onset of another outbreak after they revived a 48,500-year-old zombie virus buried under a frozen lake in Russia.
Important facts
It has broken the previous record of a 30,000-year-old virus discovered by the same team in Siberia in 2013.
This report is published in the New York Post.
The new research was prepared by Jean-Marie Alempic, a microbiologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research.
It has been said in the report that due to the survival of this zombie virus, a more devastating situation can arise in plants, animals and humans.
Scientists have expressed the possibility of another epidemic like corona due to the survival of this virus.
Threat of melting glacier
According to the report, due to global warming, permanently frozen ice is melting, which covers a quarter of the northern hemisphere.
This has a destabilising effect on organic matter that has been frozen for millions of years, including deadly microbes.
Research has shown that part of this organic matter includes revived cellular microbes (prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes) as well as viruses that have been dormant since prehistoric times.
What is a Zombie Virus?
Zombie virus is the term given to a virus that is frozen in ice and therefore dormant.
Research mentions 13 viruses, each of which has its own genome.
It is called Pandoravirus Yedoma which is 48,500 years old and has the ability to infect other organisms.
It was discovered at the bottom of a lake in Yukechi Alas in Yakutia, Russia.
All of the zombie viruses have the potential to be infectious and hence pose a health danger.
Scientists believe that epidemics like Covid 19 will become more common in the future.
7. Scientists discover new drought-resistant wheat gene
Tags: Science and Technology
Scientists at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, England in collaboration with an international team of researchers, discovered the new ‘reduced height’ or semi-dwarf gene called Rht13 of wheat.
Important facts
Rht13 is a new drought-resistant semi-dwarf wheat gene that can be grown in dry soils.
This has raised a new hope for sowing wheat crops in water limited or drought prone environments.
These genes allow seeds to be planted deeper into the soil, providing access to moisture, without adverse effects on germination of wheat varieties.
Wheat varieties containing the Rht13 gene can rapidly increase yields and enable farmers to grow reduced hight wheat under dry soil conditions.
Since the 1960s and the Green Revolution, short height genes have increased global wheat yields and improved their sustainable potential.
8. Agnikul inaugurates India’s first private space vehicle launchpad in Sriharikota
Tags: Science and Technology
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.
9. WHO has changed the name of Monkeypox disease to mpox
Tags: Science and Technology International News
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
10. World’s first Intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC gets DCGI approval for Covid booster doses
Tags: Science and Technology
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.
