Science & Technology
ARTPARK

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about AI & Robotics Technologies Park - objective + about National Mission ICPS) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• An AI & Robotics Technologies Park (ARTPARK) set up in Bengaluru will promote technology innovations in AI (Artificial Intelligence)& Robotics leading to societal impact by executing ambitious mission mode R&D projects in healthcare, education, mobility, infrastructure, agriculture, retail and cyber-security focusing on problems unique to India.

Know! about ARTPARK

• ARTPARK, is a unique not-for-profit foundation established by Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru with support from AI Foundry in a public-private model.
• With seed funding of Rs. 170 Cr ($22mn) from Department of Science & Technology(DST), Govt. of India, under the National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), it will bring about collaborative consortium of partners from industry, academia and government bodies.
• This will lead to cutting edge innovations in terms of new technologies, standards, products, services and intellectual properties.
• The National Mission ICPS with its 25 Hubs has a unique architecture that envisages a strong collaboration and co-ownership among the triple helix of industry, academia and government with full flexibility.
• Generous additional support of the Government of Karnataka to the ARTPARK Hub brings extraordinary value in increasing its effectiveness, reach and use.
• It also sets a template of centre-state partnership in the frontier areas of technology-- a theme which will receive focus in the soon to be released Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020

Know! the applications of ARTPARK

• ARTPARK will develop AI & Robotics facilities to support technology innovations as well as capacity building through advanced skills training of students and professionals in these areas.
• Some of these facilities will be key enablers for whole new sets of technologies, products and services.
• It will develop DataSetu - that will enable confidentiality and privacy-preserving framework to share data and run analytics spurring the data-sharing ecosystem and create a data marketplace, boosting AI applications and solutions.
• One such service will be BhashaSetu - that will enable real-time Indic language translation, both of speech to speech and speech to text.
• This will further unlock the economic potential of the country, and enable all Indian citizens to equitably participate in the economic progress, regardless of their language.

additional info.
The National Mission Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (ICPS )

• DST has launched a new programme "Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (ICPS)" to foster and promote R&D in this emerging field of research.

Cyber Physical System (CPS)

• Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) are new class of engineered systems that integrate computation and physical processes in a dynamic environment.
• CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics, Design and Embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and many more.
• A Cyber Physical System (CPS) is a mechanism controlled or monitored by computer-based algorithms, tightly integrated with internet and its users.
• It is an engineered system that are build from and depend upon, the seamless integration of computational algorithms and physical components.
• In general Cyber means computation, communication and control that are discrete and logical. Physical means natural and human-made systems governed by the laws of physics and operating in continuous time.
• Computing and communication systems bridges with the physical world are referred to as Cyber Physical Systems.
• CPS are physical and engineered systems whose operations are monitored, coordinated, controlled and integrated by a computing and communication core.
• The CPS systems are intelligent, autonomous and efficient and are expected to drive innovation in sectors as diverse as agriculture, water, energy, transportation, infrastructure, security, health and manufacturing.

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)

• To harness the potential of this new wave of technology and make India a leading player in CPS, the Union Cabinet approved the launch of National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to be implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) with a total outlay of Rs. 3660 Crore for a period of five years.
• The Mission aims to create a strong foundation and a seamless ecosystem for CPS technologies by coordinating and integrating nationwide efforts encompassing knowledge generation, human resource development, research, technology and product development, innovation and commercialization.
• The mission will be implemented through a network of 15 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), 6 Sectoral Application Hubs (SAHs) and 4 Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRPs). Each hubs and technology parks will follow a technology life cycle approach, addressing all stages viz.

The first Phase of NM-ICPS will focus on establishing six Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) in the following domain areas:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
2. Technologies for Internet of Things and Everything (IOT & IOE), Sensors, Activators and Control
3. Databanks & Data Services, Data Analytics
4. Advanced Communication Systems
5. Robotics & Autonomous Systems
6. Cyber Security and Cyber Security for Physical Infrastructure

• The first phase of NM-ICPS will be implemented by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
• Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) will be the nodal centres spearheading the activities in a specific domain.

Specific Objectives

• Knowledge Generation
• Technology/Product Development and Commercialisation
• HRD and Skill Development
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-up Ecosystem
• International Collaboration

Prelims Factoids
Glistening ‘blue tide' spotted along Mumbai, Sindhudurg coasts

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Bioluminescence + dinoflagellates)
What's the NEWS

• The tide that produces a fluorescent blue hue-bioluminescence-made an appearance on Juhu beach in Mumbai and Devgad beach in Sindhudurg along Maharashtra's coastline.

Bioluminescence

• Bioluminescence has been an annual occurrence along the west coast since 2016 during the months of November and December.
• The natural phenomenon is characterised by the emission of light produced by phytoplanktons (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates.
• This occurrence could be taking place along several areas on the west coast during this time of the year

Science & Technology
DST INSPIRE Faculty fellow working to develop improved disease-resistant banana plants

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Fusarium + about INSPIRE Faculty fellowship)
What's the NEWS

• An improved understanding of Fusarium, a root pathogen infection in banana plant may soon help develop strategies to prevent the disease that causes wilting of the fruit crop that is grown in at least 5 major states of India.
• India is the leading producer of banana in the world and the present cultivation is vulnerable to this fungal disease which dwells in soil as a saprophyte and shifts to the parasitic mode in presence of host roots.
• Scientists are trying to understand the disease paradigm for developing innovative management strategies.

Fusarium

• INSPIRE Faculty fellowship, of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, is using genetic approaches to decipher the molecular cross-talk between banana and Fusarium during infection.
• The team is focusing on studying the transcriptional factors that regulate the expression of virulence genes in Fusarium oxysporumcubense(Foc), the fungal plant pathogen, that causes Panama disease of banana. His research work could lead to improved disease-resistant in plants.

Know! about INSPIRE

• The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has launched the "Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)" program in 2008.
• The program aims to attract talent for study of science and careers with research. INSPIRE includes many components. INSPIRE Faculty Scheme offers a contractual research awards to young achievers and opportunity for independent research in the near term and emerge as a future leader in the long term.
• Indian citizens and people of Indian origin including NRI/PIO status with PhD (in science, mathematics, engineering, pharmacy, medicine, and agriculture-related subjects) from any recognized university in the world.

Science & Technology
Government Launches Mission COVID Suraksha to accelerate Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• The Government of India (GOI) has announced the third stimulus package of Rs. 900 Crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission.
• This grant will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for Research & Development of Indian COVID-19 vaccines.

Know! about the mission

• The COVID-19 Vaccine development Mission with end-to-end focus from preclinical development through clinical development and manufacturing and regulatory facilitation for deployment, would consolidate all available and funded resources towards an accelerated product development.
• This will help accelerate development of approx. 5-6 vaccine candidates and ensure that these are brought closer to licensure and introduction in market for consideration of regulatory authorities for introduction in public health systems, to combat further spread of COVID infection.
• Led by Department of Biotechnology and implemented by a dedicated Mission Implementation Unit at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC),the existing activities under National Bio Pharma Mission (NBM) and Ind-CEPI Mission will provide complementary strengths to this Mission.
• Phase-I of the COVID Suraksha Mission has been allotted Rs.900 Crore for a period of 12 months.
• A total of 10 vaccine candidates have been supported by Department of Biotechnology so far at both academia and industry and as on date, 5 vaccine candidates are in human trials including the Russian Vaccine Sputnik-V with at least 3 more in advanced stages of preclinical to enter human trials shortly.

Space Awareness
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft carrying asteroid soil samples nears Earth

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about asteroid Ryugu + Hayabusa2 spacecraft) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)
What's the News

• A Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a yearlong journey home from a distant asteroid with soil samples and data that could provide clues to the origins of the solar system

Know! more about the space mission

• The Hayabusa2 spacecraft left the asteroid Ryugu, about 300 million kilometers (180 million miles) from Earth, a year ago and is expected to reach Earth and drop a capsule containing the precious samples in southern Australia on December 6.
• Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency believe the samples, especially those taken from under the asteroid's surface, contain valuable data unaffected by space radiation and other environmental factors.
• JAXA, the space agency, plans to drop the capsule containing the samples onto a remote, sparsely populated area in Australia from 220,000 kilometers (136,700 miles) away in space, a big challenge requiring precision control.
• The capsule, protected by a heat shield, will turn into a fireball during re-entry in the atmosphere at 200 kilometers (125 miles) above ground.
• At about 10 kilometers (6 miles) above ground, a parachute will open to prepare for landing, and beacon signals will be transmitted to indicate its location.

Know! about Hayabusa2

• For Hayabusa2, it's not the end of the mission it started in 2014. After dropping the capsule, it will return to space and head to another distant small asteroid called 1998KY26 on a journey slated to take 10 years.
• Hayabusa2 touched down on Ryugu twice, despite its extremely rocky surface, and successfully collected data and samples during the 1½ years after it arrived there in June 2018.
• In the first touchdown in February 2019, it collected surface dust samples. In July, it collected underground samples from the asteroid for the first time in space history after landing in a crater that it had earlier created by blasting the asteroid's surface.
• Asteroids, which orbit the sun but are much smaller than planets, are among the oldest objects in the solar system and therefore may help explain how Earth evolved.

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