Category Archives: Science & Technology

NATIONAL: PHARMACEUTICALS: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: India has started Manufacturing 38 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in past 18 months that were previously being Import Reliant: Mandaviya

Mansukh Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam.

Over the past eighteen months, India has commenced the production of 38 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that were previously reliant on imports, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural Healthcare Summit hosted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Mandaviya said this stride towards self-sufficiency was made possible through the implementation of the production-linked incentive (PLI) initiative within the pharmaceutical sector.

Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam. This in turn prompted India to reassess its dependence on a single source for 95% of APIs used in the formulation industry, he added.

“In our efforts through the PLI scheme, we tried to eliminate the need for importing 54 APIs from foreign sources and instead promote domestic production for our formulation industry. Today, I’m pleased to announce that within just a year and a half, India has successfully initiated the manufacturing of 38 APIs, illustrating a prime instance of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Union health minister said.

The government’s commitment to fostering self-reliance is evident in its allocation of a substantial ₹15,000 crore budget for the pharmaceutical sector under the PLI scheme, according to Mandaviya.

Mandaviya further underscored the Centre’s core objective of enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability in rural areas.

An essential stride in this direction has been the significant expansion of medical education, with the number of MBBS seats surging from 52,000 to 1,07,000 over the past nine years, he said. Additionally, the government has approved the establishment of 54 new medical colleges, reflecting a dedicated effort to address the shortage of medical professionals, added Mandaviya.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic instigated a comprehensive reevaluation of healthcare strategies, inspiring a fresh approach to planning, redevelopment, and innovation in the sector, said the Union health minister.

He emphasized that India is brimming with intellectual and human resources, and the key lies in recognising the aspirations of its youth and creating avenues for their fulfilment.

The Healthcare Summit, organised by the Centre of Management of Health Services (CMHS) and IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (SIG), showcased two tracks dedicated to pivotal aspects of healthcare innovation.

The summit featured two tracks, each focused on a crucial aspect of healthcare innovation, with panel discussions and competition for healthcare start-ups.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / EDUCATION: NURSING: Japan is now the New Work Destination for Indian Nurses

With an aging population, Japan is actively recruiting Indian nurses, offering salaries that are eight to ten times higher than in India and an extendable three year visa; about 12% of Indian nurses work abroad.

Japan is the newest addition to the list of countries that are actively scouting and opening their doors for skilled Indian nurses and other healthcare support staff.

With its healthcare sector grappling with a rapidly aging population, nurses from Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam currently dominate the job market for caregivers in Japan. Indian nurses and trained medical staff are now entering the market as well.

“Salary that is eight to ten times the Indian remuneration, plus the chance to work and learn cutting edge medical technology for assisted care, and the ability to save anywhere between ₹40,000 to ₹1 lakh a month — these are the main attractions driving the Indian workforce to Japan,’’ said Abhishek Singh, COO, Learnet Skills Limited, a sending organisation for the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) programme and a skill development venture.

Aging population

More than 20% of Japan’s population is over 65 years, the world’s highest proportion of senior citizens. As per a report by McKinsey, Japan’s working-age population will decline to 71 million in 2025 from 79 million in 2012, and its dependency ratio is set to soar from 0.60 to 0.73 over the same period. There are not enough young people in Japan to fill this vacuum, due to the decline in its fertility rate. In response to this demographic situation, the government of Japan has taken up measures such as the TITP, which promotes the acceptance of foreign human resources, who acquire skills and knowledge by working as technical interns in Japan. 

For Indian caregivers, Japan currently offers a three-year visa, which is extendable by two years. Caregivers who opt to stay back after that five year period must pass a language and nursing test to continue working in Japan.

Quality of life

Puspha Kumari, a health worker from Okhla, has done a short course in patient care, and is now working in Japan along with her sister. They are both happy with the opportunity, she told The Hindu.

“The respect and the quality of life are unmatched. Besides, it’s a beautiful country. Our work involves basic care of the elderly, like ensuring they have had food and water, checking vitals, including daily exercise. Food and culture are something we get used to very quickly, and we can also cook in our apartment,’’ she says. Ms. Kumari is aiming to study for her nurse’s certification in Japan or migrate to another country from there.

Joseline lpecha, who is undergoing training in West Bengal with the aim of working in Japan, says that apart from the pay and the global exposure, she was attracted to Japan because of the beauty of the country and the fact that it is safe for women.

“I plan to work in Japan for three years and then see how it goes. If all goes well, I will go back and prepare to advance my career there,’’ she said, speaking to The Hindu via an online call. Her elder sisters told her about the opportunity and they are trying to migrate to the United States, she added.

Exodus of nurses

According to Health Ministry data, one out of eight nurses from India practices in other countries. Around 88,000 Indian nurses are working in developed countries which belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Indian nurses also account for 8.3% of the foreign trained nurses in the U.S. and 8% of those in Singapore.

India skilling centres are working with students to offer language training and hand-hold them in learning the basic social etiquette required to integrate with an international workforce.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPACE & SATELLITES: ISRO PSLV Launch: 7 Singaporean Satellites placed into intended Orbits

DS-SAR satellite will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the government of Singapore.

The PSLV rocket by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has placed all seven Singaporean satellites into the near-equatorial orbit (NEO) after its successful launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota. About 23 minutes after the lift-off, the rocket separated from satellites and after covering a distance of 535 km, deployed them into their intended orbits, said ISRO.

5 facts about ISRO PSLV-C56 mission

The DS-SAR satellite was developed in partnership with the Government of Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency and ST Engineering. It will be launched into a near-equatorial orbit (NEO) at 5 degrees inclination at a 535 km altitude.

Once deployed and operational, the DS-SAR satellite will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the government of Singapore, as per ISRO.

The PSLV-C56 also carries six co-passenger customer satellites – VELOX-AM, a 23 kg technology demonstration microsatellite; ARCADE Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Explorer (ARCADE), an experimental satellite; SCOOB-II , a 3U nanosatellite flying a technology demonstrator payload; NuLIoN by NuSpace, an advanced 3U nanosatellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity in both urban and remote locations; Galassia-2, a 3U nanosatellite that will be orbiting at low earth orbit; and ORB-12 STRIDER, satellite is developed under an International collaboration.

It is the 58th flight of PSLV and 17th of PSLV in core alone configuration.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPACE – INDIA IN SPACE: Final Orbit-raising Manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-3 Completed

Following the final orbit-raising manoeuvre, ISRO will perform the TransLunar Injection (TLI) on August 1.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday (July 25) successfully completed the fifth and final orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) of the Chandrayaan-3 mission .  It was performed successfully from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.

The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 1,27,609 km x 236 km. This means that Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which, when closest to Earth is at 236 km and when farthest is at 1,27,609 km.

“The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations,” ISRO said after the successful orbit-raising manoeuvre.

The four earlier orbit raising manoeuvres were performed by ISTRAC between July 15 and July 20.

Following the final orbit-raising manoeuvre, ISRO will perform the TransLunar Injection (TLI) on August 1 to slingshot Chandrayaan-3 towards the Moon.

“The next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between midnight and 1 a.m. IST,” ISRO said.

The Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander module (LM), propulsion module (PM) and a rover which was launched by the LVM3-M4 on July 14.

After the TLI takes place, the PM and the LM separation will happen on August 17. A series of deboost manoeuvres is also scheduled to take place before the power descent phase for the soft landing on the Moon. The lander is expected to touch down on the Moon surface on August 23 at 5.47 p.m.

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed the fifth and final orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. It was performed successfully from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.
  • The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 1,27,609 km x 236 km. This means that Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which, when closest to Earth is at 236 km and when farthest is at 1,27,609 km.
  • The four earlier orbit raising manoeuvres were performed by ISTRAC between July 15 and July 20.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & SOUTH EAST ASIA REGION: India Recorded all-time High of 93% DPT3 Immunisation Coverage in 2022: WHO

WHO South-East Asia Region tops in vaccination recoveries following pandemic, thanks to India and Indonesia, says official.

The coverage rate for DPT3, the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines, in India rose to an all-time of 93% in 2022, surpassing the previous pre-pandemic best of 91% recorded in 2019, and also marking a sharp increase from the 85% recorded in 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The WHO and UNICEF estimates for national immunisation coverage for 2022, released on July 18, showed that in the WHO South-East Asia Region, the coverage rate for DPT3 recovered to the pre-pandemic level of 91%, a sharp increase from the 82% recorded in 2021.  The region also witnessed a six per cent improvement in the coverage of the measles vaccine, rising to 92% in 2022 from 86% in 2021.

In this region, the number of zero-dose children (those that have not received even the first dose of DPT vaccine) halved to 2.3 million in 2022 from 4.6 million in 2021.

Similarly, the number of partially vaccinated children (those that have received at least one dose of DPT vaccine but did not complete the primary series of three doses) reduced to 6,50,000 in 2022 from 1.3 million in 2021.

As per the report, the region had the best immunisation recoveries among all the WHO regions. This can be majorly attributed to the efforts being made by India and Indonesia, Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said.

She said every child deserved to be protected against life-threatening diseases with routine immunisation, adding that the momentum built with impressive efforts and immunisation service, recoveries must continue to benefit every child for a healthy and productive life.

Indonesia reported a DPT3 coverage of 85% in 2022, the same as in 2019, but rising sharply from the 67% recorded in 2021. Bhutan recorded 98% and Maldives 99%, surpassing their pre-pandemic immunisation rates.

Bangladesh with 98% and Thailand 97% demonstrated consistency in routine immunisation coverage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, the WHO report said.

Sri Lanka with 98% coverage, Nepal with 90% and Timor-Leste with 86% were closer to the pre-pandemic coverage of 99%, 93% and 90%, respectively.

Myanmar with 71% DPT3 coverage in 2022, was far from the pre-pandemic 90% coverage in 2019, the report noted.

Due to border restrictions enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea, national vaccine stock-outs were reported in 2021 and 2022, leading to no vaccination at all for several antigens. However, with the country receiving vaccines early this year, the coverage is expected to increase, the WHO said.

“While we draw lessons from the pandemic to strengthen capacities to respond to future health emergencies, we must learn from countries which maintained their immunisation rates even while responding to a pandemic,” Dr. Singh said. 

The South-East Asia regional office noted that while overall immunisation coverage levels were looking good, and the progress encouraging, there remained variabilities in the coverage at subnational levels in countries, especially in those with large populations. 

The inequities in immunisation coverage leading to accumulation of pockets of unvaccinated children posed the risk of outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, the WHO said, adding that these gaps should be closed.

Countries and partners agencies must continue to and scale up efforts to identify the unvaccinated children, strengthen capacities of the health workforce, better understand, and engage with vulnerable populations and roll out tailored strategies to reach each child with the lifesaving routine immunization vaccines, Dr. Singh said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INDIA IN SPACE: Chandrayaan-3: First orbit-Raising Maneuver Successfully Performed, says ISRO

Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation have performed the first orbit raising maneuver of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Saturday.

Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation have performed the first orbit raising maneuver of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Saturday, the space agency said. The health of the spacecraft was “normal”, ISRO said in a social media post. Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which when closest to Earth is at 173 km and farthest from Earth is at 41,762 km, the space agency said.

“Chandrayaan-3 Mission update: The spacecraft’s health is normal. The first orbit raising manoeuvre (Earthbound firing-1) was successfully performed at ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. Spacecraft is now in 41762kms x 173kms orbit,” ISRO said.

ISRO on July 14 successfully launched the third edition of its Moon exploration programme from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, aimed at making a soft landing on the unexplored south pole of the Moon that would make India achieve a rare feat.

Only three countries, the United States, China and Russia, have managed to land on the lunar surface so far.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: NATIONAL: SPACE : Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Mission | ISRO’s next Leap to the Moon – July 14th, 2023

Catch India’s highly anticipated lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 with The Hindu’s coverage of the latest news, developments, behind-the-scenes, insights and related stories into this remarkable feat of Indian space science.

India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), began the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission to explore the Moon on July 14, 2023, by making a soft landing on the natural satellite of Earth. Building upon the success of its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2, the third lunar mission is set to push the boundaries of space discovery and innovation.

Just under four years after the launch of Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 takes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Andhra Pradesh perched on the back of a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV-MK III) heavy-lift rocket, on July 14, 2023. The mission is a prime example of India’s growing commitment towards advancing its presence in the global space community.

According to ISRO, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has three major objectives:

  1. Demonstrate safe and soft landing on the surface of the Moon,
  2. Conduct rover operations on the Moon, and
  3. Conduct on-site experiments on the Lunar surface.

In 2019, Chandrayaan-2, captured the world’s attention when it successfully placed the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover near the Moon’s South Pole. But the mission experienced partial setbacks. The Vikram lander on Chandrayaan-2 had crashed on the lunar surface while attempting to land. Despite the mishap, it still marked a significant achievement in India’s space history.

If the Chandrayaan-3 mission lifts off on July 14 as planned, the lander would be ready to soft-land on the lunar surface by August, according to S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Mr. Somanath also said that the space agency has incorporated major improvements in the lander for the upcoming mission. This includes stronger ‘legs’ for the lander, the ability to withstand a higher descending velocity and a reduction in the number of engines from five to four. ‘‘We have also increased the quantity of the propellant, and solar panels cover a larger area. New sensors also have been added,’‘ he said.

Here is comprehensive coverage of the historic mission of the latest updates, exclusive interviews with ISRO scientists, and in-depth analyses of the mission.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: MANUFACTURING /AUTOMOTIVE EXPORTS: Maruti Suzuki Commences Exports of compact SUV Fronx

Maruti Suzuki India said it had begun exports of the newly introduced compact SUV Fronx. The first batch of 556 vehicles was shipped from Mundra, Mumbai, and Pipavav Ports to destinations in Latin America, West Asia and Africa, the automaker said.

“The newly launched Fronx is an important model in our portfolio, and we are confident that it will augment our ambitious export plans,” said MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi.

“Aligned with the Government of India’s efforts towards Make in India, we are focussed to lead the export of cars manufactured in India. With support from our parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation we have expanded our portfolio and are now exporting to more markets,” he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & INDIA : SPACE TECHNOLOGY: 4th edition ‘G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting (SELM) in Bengaluru: ‘Space technology has entered every household in one way or the other’

G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting begins in Bengaluru.

The 4th edition of G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting (SELM) commenced in Bengaluru on Thursday July 6.

This is the first face-to-face meeting under the G20 umbrella, with the previous meetings organised in virtual and hybrid formats. Heads of national space agencies from 18 of the G20 countries and nine of the 11 invited members are participating in the two-day meet whose theme is ‘Towards a New Space ERA (Economy, Responsibility, Alliance)’.

Senior representatives from 32 global industries, and 53 local industries, are also participating in the meet.

During the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, PMO; MoES; S&T; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions; Dep. Of Space; Dept. of Atomic Energy, said that this gathering (G20 countries along with partner countries) represents nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, the best brains across the world in the space sector, 85% of the global GDP, and 75% of the world trade.

“You are not only spearheaders, torchbearers but also opinion-makers, and I am glad that India is in a position to share its inputs with other member countries as well. The new chapter of public-private participation is going to make it a value for all of us to learn the virtues of an integrated approach. An era of partnership is in the offing. Our concerns are common and our efforts have to be common. Therefore, the time has come to carry forward the collaboration to discover wider horizons in the times to come,” Dr Singh said.

“I hardly need to reiterate the importance that space technology has gained of late across the world. Rather, I would put it in a single sentence saying that space technology has virtually entered every household in one way or the other.”

He added that every aspect of human life, be it disaster management, agriculture, education, health, navigation, defence, is connected to space technology.

G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, said the space economy is experiencing rapid growth with increasing revenues and more commercial actors entering the industry. “Studies project that space could become a trillion dollar sector in the coming decades. This exponential growth necessitates support from governments worldwide. That is why, we are discussing space as a formal element in the G20,” Mr Kanth said.

Round-table meetings for the heads of space agencies, panel discussions, bilateral meetings and a plenary session are a part of the first day of the event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPACE & SPACE TECHS : The New York Times says India’s Space Programme set to ‘Transform Planet’s Connection to Final Frontier’

The article titled ‘The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business’ notes that India has become home to at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups.

Lauding India’s ambitious space programme, The New York Times has said the country, currently witnessing an “explosive” growth in space-tech start-ups, is set to “transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier” and can emerge as a “counterweight” to China.

“When it launched its first rocket in 1963, India was a poor country pursuing the world’s most cutting-edge technology. That projectile, its nose cone wheeled to the launchpad by a bicycle, put a small payload 124 miles above the Earth. India was barely pretending to keep up with the US and the Soviet Union. In today’s space race, India has found much surer footing,” the leading US newspaper said.

The article titled ‘The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business’ notes that India has become home to at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups, “comprising a local research field that stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier.” “The start-ups’ growth has been explosive, leaping from five when the pandemic started. And they see a big market to serve,” the paper said.

Underscoring that India’s “importance as a scientific power” is taking centre stage, the NYT report referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Washington last month at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the joint statement issued by the two sides said that said the two leaders “set a course to reach new frontiers across all sectors of space cooperation.” In the joint statement, “the leaders called for enhanced commercial collaboration between the US and Indian private sectors in the entire value chain of the space economy and to address export controls and facilitate technology transfer.” The NYT report added that both the US and India “see space as an arena in which India can emerge as a counterweight to their mutual rival: China.” “One of India’s advantages is geopolitical,” the paper said as it added that Russia and China had historically offered lower-cost options for launches.

“But the war in Ukraine has all but ended Russia’s role as a competitor,” it said as it cited the USD 230 million hit British satellite start-up OneWeb took after Russia impounded 36 of its spacecraft in September. OneWeb’s next constellation of satellites was sent into orbit by India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

“Likewise, the US government would be more likely to approve any American company’s sending military-grade technology through India than through China,” the NYT said.

It added that “Since June 2020, when Mr Modi announced a push for the space sector, opening it up to all kinds of private enterprise, India has launched a network of businesses, each driven by original research and homegrown talent. Last year, the space start-ups raked in USD 120 million in new investment, at a rate that is doubling or tripling annually.” The NYT report mentions Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace and aerospace manufacturer Dhruva Space.

“Skyroot and Dhruva work in the relatively sexy sectors of launch and satellite delivery, but together those account for only 8 per cent of India’s space business pie.

“A much bigger slice comes from companies that specialise in collecting data beamed by satellite,” the report said and cited the example of Bengaluru-headquartered start-up Pixxel, co-founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal and which has a “contract with a secretive agency within the Pentagon.” Pixxel has developed an imaging system to detect patterns on the Earth’s surface that lie outside the range of ordinary colour vision.

Describing India as a “thriving centre of innovation” and “one of the most competitive launch sites in the world”, the NYT article said space-tech start-ups are one of India’s “most sought-after sectors” for venture capital investors and their growth “has been explosive, leaping from five when the pandemic started.” Terming India’s vendor ecosystem as “staggering in size”, the NYT said years of conducting business with ISRO has created “about 400 private companies in clusters around Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and elsewhere, each devoted to building special screws, sealants and other products fit for space.” India has an abundance of affordable engineers, but their smaller salaries alone cannot beat the competition. That leaves an Indian company like Skyroot concentrating on more specialised services, the newspaper said.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, 32, Co-Founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, anticipates a global need for 30,000 satellites to be launched this decade.

“We are more like a cab,” said Chandana, whose company charges higher rates for smaller-payload launches, while Elon Musk-owned SpaceX “is more like a bus or a train, where they take all their passengers and put them in one destination.” Dhruva Space, which deploys satellites, was India’s first space start-up. In any given month, Kranthi Chand, its head of strategy, is hardly in Hyderabad, as he spends about one week in Europe and another in the US, rounding up clients and investors, the article said.

In May, Dhruva Space announced the successful test and Space-qualification of its 3U and 6U Satellite Orbital Deployers and Orbital Link onboard ISRO’S PSLV-C55 mission.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)