Category Archives: Science & Technology

INTERNATIONAL : AVIATION : HAL-Israel Aerospace Sign MoU for Conversion of Civil (Passenger) Aircraft into Multi-Mission Tanker Transport Aircraft (MMIT)

In a move aimed at bolstering the ‘Make in India’ campaign, HAL has entered into a MoU with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to convert Civil (Passenger) aircraft to Multi Mission Tanker Transport (MMTT) aircraft in India.

The move will provide India’s defence ecosystem with new capabilities and cost effective solutions in the market.

The MoU will facilitate HAL and IAI’s decades’ long expertise in developing, manufacturing and producing leading defence platforms.

The scope of MoU also covers “passenger to freighter aircraft” conversion along with MMTT conversions.

A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Delhi by D Maiti, CEO (MiG Complex), HAL and Yaacov Berkovitz, Vice President and General Manager, Aviation Group, IAI in the presence of Chandraker Bharati, JS (Aero), Ministry of Defence, Goveernment of India.

source/content: daijiworld.com (edited)

WORLD : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : Dr. Reddy’s Acquiring Novartis Cardiovascular Drug ‘Cidmus’ for $61 m

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has entered into an agreement with pharma giant Novartis AG to acquire cardiovascular brand Cidmus in India for $61 million.

Under the agreement, it will be assigned and transferred the Cidmus trademark in India from Novartis AG. Cidmus sales in the country was around ₹136.4 crore for the most recent 12 months ending in February 2022, Dr. Reddy’s said on April 1, citing IQVIA MAT numbers.

The Cidmus brand will be affixed on the pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of Valsartan and Sacubitril (currently under Novartis patent) which is indicated for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. The tablets were available in three strengths, the company said.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

RECORDS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : India’s 1st BTVA Procedure Performed at Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad

BTVA : Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapour Ablation

For the first time in India, the procedure of Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapour Ablation (BTVA), which is an endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) treatment was done at the Yashoda Hospital.

The procedure is known to help reduce hyperinflation and improve respiratory mechanics in patients with severe emphysema.

Emphysema is a sub-type of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) wherein the air sacs within the lungs are destroyed.

The patient who received the procedure at Yashoda Hospital was a 65-year-old man, previously a chain-smoker, who was nearly bed-ridden due to a lack of oxygen absorption

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

RECORDS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : India Successfully Test-Fires Army Version of MRSAM Missile System

India successfully test-fired the Army version of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) from a defence facility off the Odisha coast on Sunday, March 27th  demonstrating the system’s high killing efficiency.

The state-of-the-art missile was flight tested in full operational configuration from the launching complex – III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur at about 10.30 am.

The missile intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle achieving a ‘direct hit’.

source/content: newindianexpress.com

RECORDS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : India’s First Ever Long-Lasting ‘Steel Slag’ Road built in Gujarat

Highligts:

  • This steel slag road is built with 100 per cent processed steel slag
  • India’s first-ever ‘steel slag ’road, which has been built by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India with CSIR India, CRRI and Niti Aayog

In the first use case of waste steel in India, a road has been constructed using waste steel in Surat at the Hazira industrial area.

It is India’s first-ever ‘steel slag road’, which has been built by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India with CSIR India (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and government think tank Niti Aayog.

Steel slag road is built with 100 per cent processed steel slag, which aggregates in all layers of bituminous roads at Hazira, Surat.

source/content: livemint.com (edited)

WORLD RECORDS : SOLAR ENERGY : India 5th in Global Position in Solar Power Deployment Surpassing Italy

India achieved 5th global position in solar power deployment by surpassing Italy.

Solar power capacity has increased by more than 11 times in the last five years from 2.6 GW in March,2014 to 30 GW in July, 2019.  Presently, solar tariff in India is very competitive and has achieved grid parity.

India added a record 10 Gigawatt (GW) of solar energy to its cumulative installed capacity in 2021. This has been the highest 12-month capacity addition, recording nearly a 200% year-on-year growth. India has now surpassed 50 GW of cumulative installed solar capacity, as on 28 February 2022.

This is a milestone in India’s journey towards generating 500 GW from renewable energy by 2030, of which 300 GW is expected to come from solar power.

India’s capacity additions rank the country fifth in solar power deployment, contributing nearly 6.5% to the global cumulative capacity of 709.68 GW.

source: mnre.gov.in / Ministry of New and Renewable Energy – Solar Energy /and /  thehindu.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : IIT Madras researchers develop new technique to provide high resolution ultrasound images

The research could facilitate better diagnosis of diseases, detection of minute abnormalities and better real-time image-guided biopsy procedures and treatment monitoring applications.

“This research could potentially facilitate several applications like early detection and better diagnosis of diseases, detection of minute abnormalities within human body like renal stones, better real-time image-guided biopsy procedures and treatment monitoring applications,” Arun K Thittai, Professor, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, told PTI.

source: newindianexpress.com

INT’L PARTICIPATION & RECORD : Agreement signed for setting up ‘ WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine’ (WHO GCTM) in India

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday,March 09th,  approved the establishment of a WHO (World Health Organization) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) at Jamnagar in Gujarat.

An agreement was signed by the Government of India with the world body in this regard.

The WHO GCTM, to be established under the Ministry of AYUSH ( Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy), will be the first and only global outposted centre (office) for traditional medicines.

source: thehindu.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : Odia Scientist Dr Mamoni Dash Invents Polymer for Pest Control

Use of insecticides and pesticides will soon become a thing of past.

Scientist  of Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) Dr Mamoni Dash has developed the polymer, which can be used instead of pesticides. The polymer has been developed to target the specific genes of different types of crops that come under the pest attack. It will help overcome the ongoing conventional control strategy of insecticides and pesticides usage.

This new invention in the field of agriculture has made her one of the 75 achievers under 50 in the field of Science and Technology in India.

source: newindianexpress.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : Indigenously Developed ‘Automatic Train Collusion Prevention System ‘Kavach’ for Domestic Implementation and Future Exports.

‘Kavach’ a technological development of the Indian Railways. It is a phenomenal improvement in safety and a significant contributor to accident prevention.

A major milestone in the Indian Railways in the avoidance of the head-on collusion by ‘Kavach’ without any manual intervention.

The technology is scheduled to be implemented in the entire rail network in the country and will also be exported to the world in the future.