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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Note: This material is developed by Ramya, a student of OnlineIAS.com.
N.Kalyana Chakravarthy
Science :
⦁ Science is derived from a latin word Scientia.
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⦁ It means the knowledge which systematically build and organises the other knowledge.
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⦁ Science is a systematic enterprise that build and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
HISTORY
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⦁ Knowledge of science was known from very ancient times,
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⦁ The archaeological remains of the Indus Valley reveal knowledge of applied sciences.
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⦁ Scientific techniques were used in irrigation, Metallurgy, making of fired bricks and pottery, and simple recknowing and measurement of areas and volumes.
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⦁ Aryan achievements in the field of astronomy, mathamatcis and medicine.
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⦁ Chinese records indicate knowledge of a dozen books of Indian origin.
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⦁ Brahmagupta's Sidhanta as well as Charaka's and Susrata's Samhitas were translated int Arabic in the 9th or 10th centuries A.D.
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⦁ In the fielf of mathematics ancient Indians made three distinct contributions, the notation system, the decimal system and the use of zero.
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⦁ Regarding chemistry and metallurgy too, some progress was made in ancient times.
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⦁ The Harappans developed metallurgy of copper and bronze about 2500 B.C.
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⦁ The Vedic Aryans tanned leather, fermented grains and fruits, and dyed scale production of copper, iron and steel, brass, silver and gold and their alloys.
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⦁ Indian steel was highly esteemed in the ancient world and it was exported in large quantities.
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⦁ The heights attained by Indians in metallurgy and engineering are brone out by the almost pure copper stature of Buddha found at Sultanganj and the famous iorn Pillar at Mehrauli (Delhi which has been able to withstand rain and weather for centuries without rusting).
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⦁ Metallurgists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, have discovered that a thin layer of 'misawite', a compound of iron, oxygen and hydrogen, has protected the cast iron pillar from rust.
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⦁ the Indian numeral system was popularized in the first millennium A.D. by the Arabs (the Arabic word for number is hindsah , meaning “from Hind (India)”)
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⦁ The most renowed scholars of astronomy were Aryabhata and Varhamihira.
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⦁ Aryabhata formulated the rule for finding the area of a trinangle, which led to the origin of trigonometry.
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⦁ Aryabhata gave approximate value of pie. It was more accurate than that of the Greeks.
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⦁ Aryabhata calculated the position of the planets according to the Babylonian method. He discovered the cause of lunar and solar eclipses. He pointed out that the sun is stationary and the earth rotates around it. The book of Aryabhata is the Aryabhatiya.
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⦁ Varhimihira's well-known work is called Brihatsamhita which belongs to the sixth century A.D. Varhaihira stated that the moon rotates around the earth and the earth rotates around the sun.
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⦁ Varahamihira's Brhat-samhita describes Vajra-lepa and Vajra-sanghata. The Ashoka Pillar is basically a sand-stone pillar coated with Vajra-Sanghata to look like a metal pillar. Mauryan caves in Bihar also have a coating that gives the surface the look of glass.
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⦁ Varahamihira, in his Brhatsamhita, refers to mordants like alum and sulphate or iron for the fixing of dyes on textile fabrics. It also alludes to cosmetics, scented hair dyes, perfumes etc.
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⦁ In the field of medicine, Aurveda was the contribution of India. Seven hundred hymns in the Vedas, particularly Atharva Veda, refer to topics of Ayurveda.
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⦁ India witnessed two famous scholars of the Aurveda, Susrtua and Charaka.
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⦁ In the Susrutasmhita Susruta describes methods of operating contract, stone disease and several other ailments. He mentions as many as 121 implements to be used for operations. For the treatment of disease he lays special emphasis on diet. And cleanliness.
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⦁ The portion in Susruta Samhita, which explains the preparation and use of alkalies, occupies a prominent place in Indian medical chemistry. It is said that alkalies were used to clean surgical instruments, which were used to cut the diseased parts of human body.
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⦁ Charaka wrote the Charakasamhita in the second century A.D. It is like encylopedia of Indian medicines. It describes various types of fever. Leprosy, hysteria and tuberculosis. Possibly Charaka did not know that some of these are infections. His book contains the names of a large number of plants and herbs which were to be used as medicine.
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famous scientists of the pre- and post-independence era :
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⦁ Another leading scientist was Homi Jehangir Bhabha, an eminent physicist internationally recognized for his contributions to the fields of positron theory, cosmic rays, and muon physics at the University of Cambridge in Britain.
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⦁ He was an Indian nuclear physicist.
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⦁ In 1945, with financial assistance from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Bhabha established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay.
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⦁ After Homi J. Bhabha's death in 1966, the centre was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on 22 January 1967.
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VIKRAM SARABHAI :
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971) was an Indian scientist and innovator widely regarded as the father of India's space program.
Sir Jagadish Chandra (J.C.) Bose
Other eminent pre-independence scientists include Sir Jagadish Chandra (J.C.) Bose, a Cambridge-educated Bengali physicist who discovered the application of electromagnetic waves to wireless telegraphy in 1895 and then went on to a second notable career in biophysical research.
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C.V. Raman
Chandrasekhara Venkata (C.V.) Raman, an ardent nationalist, prolific researcher, and writer of scientific treatises on the molecular scattering of light and other subjects of quantum mechanics.
In 1930 Raman was awarded the Nobel prize in physics for his 1928 discovery of the Raman Effect, which demonstrates that the energy of a photon can undergo partial transformation within matter.
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Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STI) 2013
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STI) 2013 seeks to send a signal to the Indian scientific community, both in the private and public domain, that science, technology and innovation should focus on faster, sustainable and inclusive development of the people.
The policy seeks to focus on both STI for people and people for STI.
It aims to bring all the benefits of Science, Technology & Innovation to the national development and sustainable and more inclusive growth.
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It seeks the right sizing of the gross expenditure on research and development by encouraging and incentivizing private sector participation in R & D, technology and innovation activities.
The policy also seeks to trigger an ecosystem for innovative abilities to flourish by leveraging partnerships among diverse stakeholders and by encouraging and facilitating enterprises to invest in innovations.
It also seeks to bring in mechanisms for achieving gender parity in STI activities andgaining global competitiveness in select technological areas through international cooperation and alliances.
The policy goal is to accelerate the pace of discovery, diffusion and delivery of science led solutions for serving the aspirational goals of India for faster, sustainable and inclusive growth.
A Strong and viable Science, Research and Innovation system for High Technology led path for India (SRISHTI) are the goal for the STI policy.
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1958 ⦁ India’s first Scientific Policy Resolution.
1983 ⦁ New policy. focused on the need to attain technological competence and self reliance.
2003 This new policy wanted to
⦁ Bring science and technology together
⦁ Bring higher investment into R&D to address national problems.
2013 ⦁ Yet another science-tech policy. (made by Department of Science and Technology).
2010-20 ⦁ India has declared this as “decade of innovation”
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STI 2013 policy
Released in the Indian Science Congress at Kolkata.
Promoting the spread of scientific temper amongst all sections of society.
Making careers in science, research and innovation attractive enough for talented and bright minds.
Enhancing skills for applications of science among the young from all social sectors.
Establishing world class infrastructure for R&D for gaining global leadership in some select frontier areas of science
use STI for faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth
focus on both STI for people and people for STI.
To position India among the top five global scientific powers by 2020
To Encourage private sector to invest in Research and Development (R&D)
To Achieve gender parity in S&T. (meaning bring more female scientists)
Global cooperation, science diplomacy.
Seeking S&T based high risk innovation through new mechanisms.
Creating a robust national innovation system.
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Aspirations of the Policy
Increasing accessibility, availability and affordability of innovations, especially for women, differently-abled and disadvantaged sections of society.
Raising Gross Expenditure in Research and Development (GERD) to 2% from the present 1% of the GDP in this decade by encouraging enhanced private sector contribution.
Increasing the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of R&D personnel in India by at least 66% of the present strength in 5 years.
the spread of scientific temper amongst all sections of society :
⦁ We’ll try to attract talented and bright minds towards careers in science, research and innovation.
⦁ We’ll increase the number of R&D personnel by 66% in next five years.
⦁ We’ll create environment for women to enter in R&D field.
⦁ we’ll setup inter university centers, bringing together different disciplines of humanities and science together
Business
⦁ identify 10 sectors of high potential and put more resources into it for S&T.
⦁ India’s share in high tech products is around 8% globally.
⦁ increase R&D intentsity in Service sector, small and medium scale enterprises.
⦁ The investment in S&T is risky. So, Government will share the risk with private sector, this will increase their confidence.
⦁ provide new financing mechanisms for entrepreneurs (loans at cheaper interest rate) so they can venture in R&D without the fear of failure.
⦁ create a public procurement policy that favors indigenous innovations.
⦁ achieve synergy between R&D policy for agriculture vs. STI policy.
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TECHNOLOGY MISSION
The "Technology Mission" are the brain child of Mr. Rajiv Gandhi.
The mission was started as an offshoot of the Seventh Plan in the fields of literacy, immunization, oilseeds, drinking water, dairy products and telecommunication. The objectives of the mission are:-
(i) Make substantial improvement in the functional literacy of the population.
(ii) Immunize all infants against six diseases and women against tetanus.
(iii) Cut down imports of edible oil.
(iv) Improve the availability and quality of drinking water in rural areas.
(v) Improve milk production and rural employment,
(vi) Extend and improve the telecommunication network especially in rural areas.
Thus, the National Technology Missions focused on the key human needs. The advantage of working through the missions is that, they break up the process of change and delivery into manageable tasks in the form of a package programme with the aim of country.
The special objective of this mission level is also to improve the motivational of the people.
The mission implementation takes place with the coordination of the center, the states, and the voluntary organization funded through the Planning Commission.
All the technplogical missions are funded through planning commission.
Rajiv Gandhi National drinking water mission:
The national drinking water mission popularly known as technology mission was launched in 1986.
The mission has been renamed as Rajiv gandhi national drinking water mission in 1991.
The mission is expected to take necessary actions to ensure appropriate S & T inputs to find and develop new water sources and conservation measures to solve the problems of flouride,brackishness,high iron and guineaworm in water.
2. National Mission on strategic Knowledge on climate change
3. Nano Science and technology mission group
4. Mission war : war for water. The supreme court has ordered this missions
5. National solar mission : India is a tropical country which is having the best of solar energy available. We are unable to capture the solar energy. For this cause this mission was started. This mission is called Jawaharlal Nehru National solar mission.
The people who are going to establish solar plants are given subsidies
6. Energy efficiency mission:
Most of the technologies used in our country are obselete technology. So, the energy efficiency mission is initiated.
7. Substantial Habitat mission :
Most of the habitats are slums in India. Indira awaas yojana, Rajiv awaas yojana are started as a part of this mission.
8. Sustainable agriculture mission:
The agriculture we are implementing is non-sustainable. In this mission the pest menagement,biological insecticides, crop rotation are all introduced in this mission.
9. Mission on sustainable himalayan ecosystem
10.Mission on green India
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PAN India Sciencce and technology missions :
Working group has suggested two parallel approaches. The national challenges cannot be tackled without any nationally coordinated mission. This involves collaboration of different miinistries.
Four missions have been identified. They are :
1. National mission on affordable health care :
All the facilities available in India are very expensive. They cannot be utilised by the poor people. Doctors have become much more commercializes. Economic growth is in striking contrast with public health infrastructure.
Working group has suggested for sub missions in National mission on affordable health care In
Diabetes
Medical instrumentation and diagnostic tools
affordable health care
innovative health care delivery systems
bio-materials for health cares (bio-materials are used for stitches)
2. National mission on energy and environment
Government should ensure that sustainable energy resources. Cerain programmes are taken under this mission :
1. Clean Energy : Use of hydrogen fuel cells technology is initiated. Hydrogen is the basic fuel, but fuel cells also require oxygen. One great appeal of fuel cells is that they generate electricity with very little pollution–much of the hydrogen and oxygen used in generating electricity ultimately combine to form a harmless byproduct, namely water.
Storage and transportation techniques are the major problem.
Recently hydrogen powered vehicles are given permission. After the combustion water vapour comes out of vehicles
2.Sustainable Transportation : There is a need for government to initiate the hybrid electric cars.
3. Bio-fuel can be used in place of diesel
4. Energy efficient technologies :
An integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is a technology that uses a high pressure gasifier to turn coal and other carbon based fuels into pressurized gas—synthesis gas (syngas).
Instead of using the refrigerator or cold storage use Mechanical vapour compression system . Vapour absorption technique was used
5. Hybrid approaches
Solar,thermal,bio-fuels are used for generation of electricity. These technologies can be integrated so they can be used effectively and efficiently.
3 . National mission on R&D of Water:
The percapita availabilty of water is decreasing because of high population and due to irregular monsoons.
So supreme court has ordered war for water.
Supreme court has recommended a technical expert committe was constituted in 2009 to find the inexpensive methods to convert saline water into the fresh water.
Desalination plants are very costly, Rcently western countries have developed poly-ethylene balls which absorb the salt from water.
It iis to find the methods of harnessing and managing methods for plain water.
To find the methods for managing the flood water and waste water management.
Methods for protection and preservation of wetlands.
4. National mission of food and nutrition :
This mission has become much more critical. Nearly 20,000 new-born babies are suffering from malnutrition.
Five sub missions were put under this food and nutrition.
1. Remunerative agriculture for small land holdings
2. More crops per drop schemes.
3. Technologies for restoring soil health
4. Avoidance of food wastage
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SPACE PROGRAM OF INDIA
Study of space is put under the field of Astrophysics.
Indian space programme started in 1961. Indian government first gave the responsibility of space research to Department Of Atomic Energy (DAE). In 1962 Department Of Atomic Energy formed Indian national committee for space research (INCOSPAR) under Dr Vikram Sarabhai.
In 1969 INCOSPAR grow into ISRO.
ISRO is the 6th largest government agencies in the world.
1. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
2. RKA (
3. ESA ( European space agency)
4. CNSA ( China national space agency)
5. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration agency)
In 1972 department of space and space commission was established.
Department of Space will be executing all space related programmes through ISRO
There are 4 independent associative institutions ISRO will execute the space programme.
1. NARL (National Atmospheric Research laboratory)
2. NESAC (North East Space Application Center)
3. NRSC (National Remote Sensing Center)
4. Physical Research Laboratory
ISRO has Head quarters in Banglore. It has 22 operating units in the country.
The prime motto of ISRO is “Space Technology in the Service of Human Kind”.
ISRO deals with all the space systems, designing of space systems, communicating systems,telemetry,research,launching etc.
The establishment of space system and their utilization is coordinated with national level committees. There are 3 national level committes which are advising about the space systems.
1. Insat Coordination Committee
2. Planning committee of Natural resource management systematic
3. Advisory committee on space science
First sounding rocket launched from TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station).
Recently TERLS was renamed as Vikram Sarabhai Space Center.
The first biggest success came for India when the first sattellite is launched Aryabhata by the Soviet Union on 19 April in 1975 from kapustinyar launching station through the ship named Cosmos.
APPLE – Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment.
APPLE was the first Indian communication satellite put in geo-stationary orbit.
Space programme of country is divided into four phases :
1. Demonstration of proofs of concepts and ideas by using foreign space systems.
We started the progrom to satisfy user community.
Sattelite Instruction Television experiment was launched
The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment or SITE was an experimental satellite communications project launched in India in 1975, designed jointly by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The project made available informational television programmes to rural India.
The main objectives of the experiment were to educate the poor people of India on various issues via satellite broadcasting, and also to help India gain technical experience in the field of satellite communications.
It dealt with family welfare,agriculture,primary education etc.
2. Experimental phase
Experiments are done to produce the results and end-to-end experience. During this phase India has built two experimental earth observation sattellites. Bhaskara I and Bhaskara II.
This has enabled India in realising its own capabiities and gained experiences.
3. Developmental Phase
In the development phase, sattelite designing and launching is done.
4. Operational Phase :
In this phase the technology we have is fine tuned.
India's space programme is Largest integrated program which is self learned and application driven programme.
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Space Systems :
The main objectives of Indian space programme is to
1. enhance mass communication and education through sattelite
2. remote sensing for surveying and management of natural resources along with environmental monitoring and mettalurgical forecasting
3. development of indegeneous sattelites and launch vehicles.
Accordingly India has established two operational systems :
1. Insat ( Indian National Sattelite System)
Insat is a multipurose geostationary sattelite system.
This is for telecommunication,broadcasting and search and rescuee operation,
This is a joint venture of the department of space, department of telecommunication, Indian metallurgical department,All India radio, doordharshan.
Insat was commissioned in 1983.
This is largest domestic communication satellite system in Asia pacific region.
The overall coordination and management of Insat system is resting with secretery level Insat Coordination Committee
Insat sattelites are promoting transponders in various bands.
Transponders are the instruments which will be receiving the signals, modulating the signals and transforms back.
Bands are the portion of electromagnetic spectrum
S-band : It is the radio waves with frequency 2 to 4 Ghz.
S-band is used by weather radar, surface-ship radar, and some communication sattelites.
C-band : It is the electomagnetic radiation with frequency 4 to 8 Ghz
these are used for communication sattelites, wifi devices, cordless telephones, weather radar systems
extended-c band
Ku-band spectrum : It is the electomagnetic spectrum with 12-18GHz. These are used for vehicle speed detection.
Insat sattelite also has VHRR(very high radiation radiometer) and CCD cameras.
ISRO is a member o