Category Archives: Science & Technology

GLOBAL: TRANSPORT INFRA-STRUCTURE / RANKING : India’s Metro Network is Currently World’s 5th Largest: Hardeep Puri . Poised to Overtake Japan and Korea as 3rd Largest.

Around 810 km of metro line are operational in 20 cities in the country while more than 980 km of metro network and RRTS is currently under construction in 27 cities, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri said on Friday, adding India currently has the fifth-largest metro network in the world.

“India will soon overtake advanced economies such as Japan and South Korea to become the third-largest network. These developments will lead to a significant reduction of traffic congestion and the associated air quality and emissions concerns,” the Minister said.

Puri, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday jointly inaugurated the 15th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Expo 2022 in Kochi.

Acknowledging the incorporation of best practices/ learnings from other countries into Indian Urban Mobility Systems, Hardeep Puri said that we have been able to learn from the experience of other countries.

The metro lines that we are introducing today are the kind of systems which are incorporating the best practices from others.

Our process of indigenisation is going to contribute to also an experience wherein we will be able to share with other countries placed in the similar level of the developmental ladder, he added further.

The Minister expressed satisfaction for his association with transport and the evolution of metro systems and other transport systems over the period of five years.

The Minister congratulated the Kochi Metro for the innovative Kochi Water Metro project, which will connect 10 islands through 15 routes and will cater to more than 100,000 people daily across 78 km of network.

The Water Metro will also provide a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to daily commuters.

Inland water transport is inherently more energy efficient than road or rail transport, he said.

source/content: siasat.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : India’s DRDO Tests for First Time its Phase Two BMD Interceptor AD-1,Long-Range Interceptor Missile

India on Wednesday conducted a critical test to validate and showcase its ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities to intercept long-range missiles, the defence ministry said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested for the first time a long-range interceptor missile, called AD-1, designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of ballistic missiles and fighter planes, officials familiar with the matter said.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh described the missile as a “unique type of interceptor” equipped with advanced technologies available only with a few countries.

India has made significant advances in developing endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric intercept systems to destroy incoming hostile missiles within and outside the atmospheric limits, respectively. The two systems have been integrated for a multi-layered defence against ballistic missiles, the officials said.

The phase-II BMD interceptor AD-1 missile with a “large kill altitude bracket” was tested from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. “The flight test was carried out with participation of all BMD weapon system elements located at different geographical locations,” the ministry said in a statement.

India is pursuing its BMD programme in two phases – the first phase has been completed while the second is underway, the officials said. The second phase is for validating intercept systems in a new range category, they said.

The AD-1 missile is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with an indigenously-developed advanced control system, and navigation and guidance algorithm to precisely guide the vehicle to the target, the ministry said.

“During the flight test, all the sub-systems performed as per expectations and were validated by the data captured by a number of range sensors including radar, telemetry and electro-optical tracking stations deployed to capture the flight data.”

The defence minister said the new missile will further strengthen the country’s BMD capability to the next level, even as DRDO chief Samir V Kamat said the interceptor will provide immense operational flexibility to the users to engage different types of targets.

The integrated exo and endo-atmospheric systems offer a hit-to-kill probability of 99.8 per cent, as previously reported.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / RESEARCH / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE(AI) : IIT Guwahati develops AI model to Predict Bone Repair Outcomes after Surgery

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model to predict the healing of thigh bone fractures after surgery.

According to the team, the model can be used to assess the healing outcomes of different fracture fixation strategies so that an optimum strategy can be chosen for the patient depending on their personal physiologies and fracture type.

Using such precision models can reduce the healing time, and lighten the economic burden and pain for patients who need thigh fracture treatment, they said.

The results of the research have recently been published in open-source journal, “PLoS One”.

“AI has tremendous potential when it comes to understanding and predicting complex biological phenomena and hence, can play a big role in health sciences applications,” said Souptick Chanda, Assistant Professor, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati.

The research team has used a combination of Finite Element Analysis and the AI tool “Fuzzy Logic” to understand the healing process of fracture after various treatment methods.

Various bone growth parameters were used along with a rule-based simulation scheme for this purpose.

The study further examined the influence of different screw fixation mechanisms to compare the fracture healing efficacies of each process.

The predictions of healing made by the model agreed well with experimental observations, pointing to its reliability.

“Our simulation model can potentially help a surgeon choose the right implant or technique before a fracture treatment surgery. In addition to various biological and patient-specific parameters, the model can also account for different clinical phenomena, such as smoking, diabetes, etc. The model can also be adapted for veterinary fractures which are, physiologically and in various aspects, similar to those occurring in humans,” Chanda added.

The researchers plan to develop a software or app based on the algorithm that can be used in hospitals and other healthcare institutions as part of their fracture treatment protocols.

The team is presently collaborating with Dr Bhaskar Borgohain and his team of orthopaedists from the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences Hospital, Shillong, for animal studies to validate and fine-tune certain parameters.

“The research is useful because incidences of thigh bone and hip fractures have increased significantly due to the increasing geriatric population in the world. An estimated 2 lakh hip fractures occur every year in India alone, most of which require hospitalisation and trauma care. Treatment for hip fractures traditionally includes bone plates and rods to bridge the fracture site and promote bone healing,” said Pratik Nag, research scholar at IIT Guwahati.

“Fracture treatment methods are intuitively chosen by surgeons based on their experience, and there is no way of predicting the efficacy and success of the treatment method chosen. Our research will help increase the accuracy rate in decision-making in orthopaedics, thereby reducing the cost and disease burden associated with fracture recovery,” he added.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE/SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/ ENGINEERING: Indian Navy & Drone Federation of India Collaborate to Promote Indigenous Development of Drones

The Technology Development and Acceleration Cell of the Naval Innovation Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) under the Indian Navy and Drone Federation of India (DFI) have come together to collaborate towards promoting indigenous development, manufacturing and testing of drone, counter-drone, and associated technologies for the Indian Navy.

As a part of this collaboration, TDAC and DFI will increase the Navy-Industry-Academia synergy, source technology development challenges towards component indigenisation. A special maritime drone testing site shall also be earmarked for the Indian drone industry to facilitate faster development and testing of drones especially in maritime environments, thus enabling development for a host of applications.

Additionally, programmes on sensitisation and skill development shall also be undertaken as a part of this collaboration. “TDAC has been working towards accelerating the development of indigenous technologies to be utilised by the Indian Navy. Our collaboration with the Drone Federation of India will help us in developing a deeper industry connection as well as create a stronger roadmap for induction of drone platforms in the Indian Navy in a time-bound manner.” said Cmde A. P. Golaya, VSM, OiC TDAC, Indian Navy.

“It is a proud moment for the Indian drone industry to have established a partnership with the Indian Navy to build and test superior drone platforms. The maritime testing site being developed under this initiative will accelerate the development of versatile and reliable drone platforms for advanced maritime use cases like maritime patrol, drone landings on moving ships, ship to ship deliveries, ship to shore deliveries, etc.” said Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPACE/SATELLITE: Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Dedicated Commercial Satellite Mission ‘LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1’ lifts off for UK’s OneWeb LEO Satellites

The heaviest rocket of the Indian Space Research Organisation– LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1 blasted off from this spaceport on Sunday to place 36 broadband communication satellites into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for a UK-based customer.

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a central public sector enterprise under the Department of Space, had earlier signed two launch service contracts with the London-headquartered Network Access Associated Limited (OneWeb) for launching OneWeb LEO satellites on board ISRO’s LVM3.

OneWeb is a private satellite communications company, in which India’s Bharti Enterprises is a major investor and shareholder.

On Sunday, the 43.5 metre tall rocket soared majestically at 12.07 am from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at the end of the 24-hour countdown.

The vehicle is also dubbed as one of the heaviest for its ability to carry satellites upto 8,000 kg.

The mission assumes significance as this was LVM3’s maiden commercial mission and also NSIL’s first with the said launch vehicle.

According to ISRO, the mission has the heaviest payloads with 36 satellites of OneWeb, becoming the first Indian rocket with a payload of 5,796 kg.

The launch is also first for LVM3-M2 to place the satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (up to 1,200 kms above the earth) unlike Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

ISRO scientists have rechristened the launch vehicle its present name from GSLV-MKK III as the newest rocket is capable of launching 4,000 kilogram class of satellites into GTO and 8,000 kgs of payloads into LEO.

GSLV-Mk III had four successful missions in the past. LVM3-M2 is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellant S200 strap-ons on its sides and core stage comprising L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage.

OneWeb Ltd is a global communication network powered from space, enabling internet connectivity for governments and businesses.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION / DEFENCE: PM Modi Unveils HTT-40, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) Indigenously Designed and Developed ‘Trainer Aircraft’ at DefExpo-2020, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled HTT-40, the indigenous trainer aircraft designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the India Pavilion during DefExpo-2020 in Gandhinagar, on Wednesday.

The Basic Trainer Aircraft would be used for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying and close formation flights, whereas its secondary roles would include navigation and night flying.

HTT-40 has cutting-edge technology designed to meet primary training requirements of the Indian defence services. Built around a meticulously tested, turbo-prop engine, it is equipped with the latest avionics, an air-conditioned cabin and ejection seats. HTT-40 boasts of unique features like running changeover of pilots, hot-refuelling and short turnaround time.

HAL receives DcPP certificate

Hal  also received a Development – cum -Production Partner (DcPP)/Production Agency (PA) certificate for ABHYAS – High Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) System from DRDO at a programme held on the sidelines of DefExpo-2022.

The Aircraft Division of HAL is the first DcPP/PA identified organisation under ADE-DRDO’s new scheme for the procurement of a complex system.

HAL had formally handed over the first batch of two units of High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) System ABHYAS, an indigenous target aircraft, to Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) recently. HAL CMD CB Ananthakrishnan received the certificate from DRDO Chairman and secretary of the Department of Defence R&D Dr Samir V Kamat

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & MEDICAL SERVICES: ORS Therapy Pioneer Bengal’s Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis who gave Oral Rehydration Life-Saving Solution During the 1971 War no more

ORS therapy pioneer Mahalanabis passes away.

Dilip Mahalanabis, the doctor who helped prove the effectiveness of oral rehydration solution (ORS) by administering it to a large number of cholera patients at a refugee camp in Bongaon during the 1971 war, passed away at a private hospital on Sunday. He was 88.

The doctor had donated his life’s savings of Rs 1 crore to the Institute of Child Health at Park Circus. A new ward for children was built with the money, and it was named after him and his wife Jayanti, said Apurba Ghosh, director of the Park Circus institute.

Mahalanabis was admitted at Apollo Multispeciality Hospital on October 1, an official of the hospital said. He passed away at 2.45am on Sunday, the official said.

Abhijit Chowdhury, a public health expert, said Mahalanabis was “an epoch-making doctor from Bengal”.

“Another doctor from Bengal, S.N. De, had demonstrated the efficacy of ORS experimentally but Mahalanabis was the one who proved its efficacy by administering it to a large number of people in the refugee camp in Bongaon. Years later, the WHO (World Health Organisation) acknowledged the benefits of ORS,” Chowdhury said.

“This is one of the greatest inventions of medical science and two doctors from Bengal were behind it.”

There was a shortage of saline in the Bongaon refugee camp. Mahalanabis prepared a solution of sugar, salt and water and kept it in a drum, Chowdhury said. To convince people about its usefulness, he called it “oral saline”, Chowdhury added.

“He told people in the refugee camp to drink the water until they felt hungry or until they did not feel weak any longer. This way, he cured many from cholera,” he said.

A book, Eksho Tarar Alo, which showcases the sterling achievements of 105 doctors from Bengal has an essay on the contributions of Mahalanabis. Chowdhury and Ashokananda Konar, another doctor, are the book’s editors.

The essay says the 1971 camp where Mahalanabis worked had far fewer deaths compared with other camps where intravenous saline was given to the patients. In Mahalanabis’s camp, people drank the oral solution.

Mahalanabis had begun researching oral rehydration therapy (ORT) in 1966 as a research investigator for the Johns Hopkins University International Center for Medical Research and Training.

In 2007, when Mahalanabis was honoured by Thailand, the doctor recalled: “I started my research in ORT under controlled conditions using cholera as the model. But it was only in 1971 that we used it on a large scale.”

The Johns Hopkins research centre was based out of the Institute of Child Health at Park Circus, Apurba Ghosh said. “He had a connection with our hospital, which is probably why he chose to donate his savings to us,” he added.

In 1983, Mahalanabis was made a member of the WHO’s Diarrhoeal Diseases Control Programme. He remained in that role for over five years. The programme’s objectives included travelling across the world to take part in discussions and prove the efficacy of the use of the salt-sugar-water mixture, and promoting research in laboratories.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / TRANSPORT: India’s First Indigenous Aluminium-Made Freight Rail Rake Flagged off in Bhubneshwar, Odisha

Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday flagged off the country’s first aluminium-made freight rail rake at Bhubneshwar in Odisha. The Ministry of Railway through a statement said that the first aluminium-made freight rail rake has been made with higher corrosion and abrasion resistance capacity, which will reduce the maintenance cost to the railway.

After flagging off the rake, Vaishnaw said: “This is a proud moment for the country and our drive for indigenisation as lightweight aluminium wagons are a big innovation for Indian Railways.”


Speaking about the features of this aluminium, rail rake, the minister further said that these wagons save 14,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions and have more carrying capacity.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: GREEN POWER/ELECTRICITY/ ENVIRONMENT: India’s First 24×7 Fully Solar-Powered Village, Modhera in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared Modhera in Gujarat as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village, even as he sought to further cement his connect with the poll-bound state, saying people there had showered affection and given him electoral victories without looking at his caste.

“You never saw my caste, you never saw my political life. You gave your blessings for the last two decades,” he said.

Regarding Modhera, which also has a famous Sun Temple, Modi said, whenever people discuss solar energy in the world, this village will feature in it. “Government produces electricity and people purchase it. But we want people to be producers of power. Don’t pay for electricity; sell it and earn from it instead,” he urged.

“People of Modhera are both consumers and producers of electricity. The government is purchasing additional generated power. Such successful attempts must be replicated across the country,” he added.
The solarisation of the Modhera Sun Temple and town happened through partnership between the Central and state governments. It involved integrating the village with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Sujjanpura in Mehsana, about 6 km away from the Sun Temple. 

More than 1,300 rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses for power generation. While day time power comes from the solar panels, at night it is supplied from the BESS. Modhera is also happens to be the first modern village having a solar based modern electric vehicle charging station.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / BRITAIN: Arun Kar, Odia Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of NesT Group Felicitated in British Parliament 

UK-based Odia entrepreneur and co-founder of NesT Group Arun Kar has been honoured with ‘Mahatma Gandhi Samman’ at the House of Commons in British Parliament, London. He was felicitated ahead of the 153rd birth anniversary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Kar, an NRI,  has made a place for himself in innovations in various diversified fields like Information Technology and Environmental Sustainability. 

He has been featured on Forbes, Fortune’s cover page and also been  a winner of National Business awards in UK.

He is also a Guinness World Record holder and has been felicitated as Global Indian of the Year – 2021 by AsiaOne Magazine.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)