Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
10/27/2014
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 1
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 2
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 3
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 4
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 5
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 6
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 7
INSIGHTS
Page 8
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 9
Q-Discuss the key decisions taken at recently held Warsaw Climate Talk.
Do you think international climate change negotiations are biased?
Critically comment. (200 Words)
19th Conference of the Parties (COP19) to UNFCCC met at Warsaw Climate Change
Conference to set out their targets on curbing greenhouse gas emissions from 2020. After
series of negotiations between likeminded countries and developed countries, COP 19
agreed on some key issues.
Under the agreement, countries permitted till the first quarter of 2015 to announce their
plans (intended nationally determined contributions) about how theyll curb greenhouse
gas emissions beyond 2020. Later the countries agreed to meet in December 2015 i.e. after
Kyoto Protocol expires, in Paris.
As per Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage (IMLD), victims of climate
change in developing country will receive aid and expertise from developed countries.
The agreement encourages the countries which do not have legally binding emission targets,
to use carbon credits under Clean Development Mechanism. The Green Climate Fund of
$100 billion is an important source of finance for developing countries.
The biggest decision took is to completion of a new mechanism REDD+ to save the world
from deforestation.
India worried about rolled back of countries like Japan, Canada from their earlier
commitments to reduce emissions, and asking to give special funding to transfer IPR
protected technologies to developing countries.
Although the western developed countries are responsible for climate change, they refuse to
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 10
Q-The present global health crisis is not primarily one of disease, but of
Governance. Comment. (300 words)
A revolution in global health in the past ten to fifteen years saw an unprecedented growth in
funding for global health, and changed in view of policymakers, activists, philanthropists
about global health as a prioritized issue.
The existing health framework consists of long-standing institutions, well-established
international legal regimes, public-private partnerships, national programs, innovative
financing mechanisms, and greater engagement by NGOs and MNCs. 2001 Doha
Declaration on TRIPS, drugs of US against anthrax, manufacture of very low cost generics
by India for low and middle income countries are few success for collaborative efforts.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 11
Q-The lithium- ion batteries are having high potential but recent findings
have defamed its viability. Highlight the controversy associated with it and
suggest measures to overcome the same. (200 words)
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from mobile devices-cell phones, sensors in medical
devices, laptops, automobiles, defence equipment and aircrafts.
Li-ion battery delivers high power per volume that starts a jet engine in quick time. It has
high power efficiency and less space usage over nickel-cadmium battery.
The Li-ion battery contains several cells. Each cell consists of a cathode, an anode and an
electrolyte as a separator between them. A typical cathode is made up of lithium cobalt
oxide. The electrolyte contains lithium salts, which is flammable.
When the batteries are overcharged, the electrolyte can catch fire due to thermal runaway.
Contaminants from manufacturing processes can form short circuit between electrodes. The
same incidents happen in Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and Tesla Model S vehicles.
There are several solutions to overcome this problem.
Using amorphous nano-silicon for anode
incorporating automatic switch-off mechanism through the use of polythene to avoid
overheat
using Non-flammable ionic liquid electrolytes like perfluoropolyether (PFPE) polymer
using large number of small size batteries with spaces in between instead of one big
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 12
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 13
INSIGHTS
Page 14
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 15
INSIGHTS
Page 16
INSIGHTS
Page 17
INSIGHTS
Page 18
Q-What are STAP cells? Why it was in news recently? (200 words)
The Stimulus Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency (STAP) Cells are newly discovered type
of stem cells which reportedly offer a simple method for making flexible, embryonic like
stem cells which are capable of developing into every type of cell in the body.
The STAP cells additionally claims that the tissues grown using STAP cells will be
genetically matched to the patients thus, prevent the risk of rejection by the immune system
of the body.
The stem cells have remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the
body and in a way serve as internal repair system. Stem cells can regularly divide to repair
or replace damaged tissues. Considering their regenerative abilities, they are used in treating
diseases such as diabetes and heart problems.
The discovery of STAP cells though are considered a remarkable piece of research, they have
been in news because of some suspicion on the rate of its success and is considered to be
published without sufficient laboratory verifications and approvals from the competent
authorities.
Research on stem cells are on the most fascinating aspects of modern biology which may be
extremely beneficial to the mankind. The STAP cells research is an effort to connect the dots
in the relevant research. However, more cautions needs to be taken in order to come up with
universally accepted and verified results.
INSIGHTS
Page 19
Rich in biodiversity
Water purification
Helps in stabilizing ecological balance in coastal areas
Checks coastal erosion.
act as a catalyst in reclaiming land from sea
Have direct economic repercussions through loss of fishing industry.
In many coastal areas including Gulf of Kutch, mangroves are a substitute for fodder.
Thus mangroves reduce pressures from the scarce pasturelands.
10. Good source of timber, fuel and fodder.
11. Potential source for recreation and tourism
Threats
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 20
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 21
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 22
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 23
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 24
Their non-interacting nature makes them difficult to detect especially on the earths surface,
which is overwhelmed with cosmic ray events. Therefore, it had been decided to establish
the observatory under a peak to shield it from cosmic ray particles.
Though much of Geological, Biological and Radiological Impacts of Neutrinos are unknown
and need to be studied in deep. Neutrinos were produced during big bang and they keep
producing during interaction of cosmic rays with earth's atmosphere.
These particles are so small that they hardly interact with matter and they just pass through
human body without having any biological effect. But, deep research still needs to be done
to find their exact impact.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 25
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 26
INSIGHTS
Page 27
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 28
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 29
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 30
Q-Do you think Indias effort to combat climate change through various
programs and policies well placed? Evaluate the performance of Indias
climate change policies
Humanity was never posed with such a wide scale existential threat as due to its own
activities that triggered a climate change. Termed as holocene extinction, climate change has
gained global attention and India is not oblivious to these concerns. As a result we adopted
NAPCC that involves a motley set of 8 dedicated mission to adapt and enhace our resilience
towards cilmate change.
These missions address various vulnerable areas with an oversight climate council headed
by PM to monitor their working. These missions are well placed and reflects India's
concerns towards climate change despite economic imperatives and infancy of knowledge
and technology in climate change. We are making rapid stride to open new solar power
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 31
India.
Chandrashekra venkata raman (c v raman) rightly described as GRAND OLD MAN OF
SCIENCE IN INDIA, strode like the colossus if Indian science, during the pre independence
era. He was the first noble prize winner in physics from across the Asian Continent.
HIS MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
1- RAMAN EFFECT: raman after intensive study at his laboratory in bangalore concluded
that when a light beam travels through a medium the beam is deflected by the molecules.
But more important he observed that a small part of the emerging light beam after deflection
by the molecules had a different wavelength from the original beam. This change in
wavelength of the light is known as the raman effect.
2 THE COLOUR OF THE SEA: before raman Introduced his theory, it was believed that the
sea gets blue colour from the sky or due to suspended matter in the water. But raman denied
this theory and figured out that the blue colour obtained from the molecular diffraction.
Later, sir c.v.raman became the fellow of the royal society of the London in 1924. A year
later, he set up raman research Instituted near bangalore, where he continued the scientific
research until his death. His science advice to aspire scientists was that scientific research
needs INDEPENDENT THINKING AND HARD WORK NOT EQUIPMENT.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 32
He hadbeen knighted only the year before and worked extensively on acoustics and light.
A traditionally-dressed man,institute that is today named after him: the Raman Research
Institute, Bangalore.
In 1954, he was honoured with the highest civilian award in India, the Bharat Ratna.
National Science Day on 28 February of every year to commemorate the discovery of the
Raman effect in 1928
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 33
wastes? Mention the steps taken by government to deal with the problem of
accumulating biomedical waste.
Biomedical Wastes are the used and discarded medical wastes like syringes, bandage,
Human organs and tissues, unused blood etc. It can pose serious problem for both health
and environment if not handled properly
Health Impact
1) Rag Pickers and Municipal workers are at the risk of diseases like Hepatitis B and D and
injuries
2) if not properly segregated from normal garbage it can cause injury and spread disease
among hospital staffs
3) There is a possibility of illicit use if the waste in not segregated and disposed, posing a
potential threat to public
Environmental Risk
1) The medical waste contain higher percentage of PVC, which when incinerated releases
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 34
Q-The recent outbreak of Ebola Virus has wider implications for national
security of a country. One of the questions that need to be addressed is the
preparedness of a country for such epidemic. Do you think India is
prepared for such outbreaks?
"Ebola Virus" which has broken out as a epidemic in the past and present has severely
affected several Sub Sahara nations (Ghana, Sierra Leone etc.,). The reason which people
attribute to this is the rural nature of their economies and the tropical climate prevalent at
these locations.
Ebola virus is highly contagious and is transmitted by bodily fluids of one individual to
another. This is the main reason why specialists are even reluctant to even treat persons
suffering with Ebola with high mortality of 70 to 90%.
Given the location of Indian subcontinent and its climatology, India has a high probability of
such epidemics breaking out. Mitigation and prevention of epidemics in India is currently
very grim. At rural levels (grass root levels) PHCs have inadequately trained staff, with
poor or no medicine supplies. There has been no fully fledged R&D about epidemics,
including the ICMR. There is no concise data base available of all the epidemics in India so
far. Further there is no specific agency in India with regard to mitigation of Biological,
radiological and Nuclear disasters.
Though recent outbreaks have been dealt with advertisements, symptoms of the disease,
banning visits to such places by citizens all these seem to be a short term solution only.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 35
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 36
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 37
Q-What are the threats to Migratory Birds in India? What steps you would
take if assigned with the task of tackling this problem?
Some of the threats to Migratory Birds in India are as follows:
1) Bad weather and predation
2) Hunting, trapping, habitat loss, collision with buildings, windows and other man made
structure
3) Wind farms and power lines can cause mortality
4) Rapid change in climate affecting their migration period
5) Pollution, habitat loss, use of chemicals like Diclofenac causing mortality and endangering
the birds
Steps need to be taken to tackle this problem
1) Provide bird friendly landscape on the migration route
2) Keep bird feeders and source of clean water on the way
3) Conserve and clean their natural habitat
4) Use windows which don't reflect in the locality
5) In nighttime migration season switch off the lights of the buildings in the night
INSIGHTS
Page 38
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 39
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 40
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 41
INSIGHTS
Page 42
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 43
Q-What are the challenges being faced in tackling Sickle Cell Anaemia?
Mention the steps taken by government to deal with it.
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder where the red blood cell takes the form of sickle
instead of normal round shape, the sickling affects the flexibility of RBC and results in
variety of life threatening diseases.
The challenges faced in tackling 'SCA' are as follows:
1) Tough to identify the tribals who are suffering from SCA, as the field officer need to
connect with them to convince them to get screened
2) the second and major problem is there is no sure for the disorder
Under these circumstances early identification and prevention is the only left option along
with research to find possible cure in future
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 44
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 45
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 46
Rover Mission
The Mars Exploration Rover Mission is NASA's robotic space mission consisting of two
rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. It began in 2003, with a motive of exploring Martian surface
and geology. Spirit is now a stationary research platform stuck in soft sand, while
Opportunity is continues its journey of Mars making it the vehicle to have driven the
farthest distance on a world other than Earth. The two rovers have helped scientists
understand Martian geology better.
INSIGHTS
Page 47
Biosimilars
These are subsequent versions of innovative biopharmaceuticals made by a different
sponsor following patent expiry on the innovator product. Their active drug substance is
made by a living organism or derived from a living organism by means of recombinant
DNA or controlled gene expression methods. These are different from chemical generics in
the sense that they are usually not identical to the original product, though it is highly
similar.
INSIGHTS
Page 48
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 49
INSIGHTS
Page 50
Q-What are the recent findings in Cosmic Inflation Theory? Explain its
significance.
Cosmic inflation is the exponential expansion of space in the early universe. The inflationary
epoch lasted from 1036 seconds after Big Bang to sometime between 1033 and 1032
seconds. Following the inflationary period, the universe still continues to expand, but at a
less accelerated rate. This theory was hypothesized by Alan Guth. This cosmic inflation
explains,
a) Origin of large scale structures of cosmos
b) Why the Universe appears to be the same in all directions,
c) Why the cosmic microwave background radiation is distributed evenly,
d) Why the universe is flat,
e) Why no magnetic monopoles have been observed.
Recently in March 2014, scientists from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics
published the first pieces of evidence to this popular untested theory.
These evidences highlight a deep connection between the theories of relativity and quantum
mechanics which has been a century-old quest in physics.
Gravitational waves are a feature of theories of relativity, and cosmic inflation is a feature of
quantum mechanics. Thus, the recent results show that the two previously exclusive theories
can be combined at a fundamental level. This throws open the door for physicists to explore
a unified theory of nature in new light.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 51
Q-What are Flash Floods? Mention the causes and consequences of flash
floods.
Flash floods are sudden flooding of a region. It is characterized by a rapid stream rise with
depths of water that can reach well above the banks.
The main causes of flash floods are:
1. Heavy rains or thunderstorms
2. Cloudburst
3. Snowmelt
4. Levee Failure
5. Dam break
6. Tropical storm
7. Human activities such as unplanned construction, but aggravated by the poor storm
drainage system in urban areas.
It's consequences are
1) Heavy inundation of low lying areas.
2) Loss of people and infrastructure.
3) Huge loss to farmers as it leads to crop failure.
4) disrupts and destroys communication systems.
5) Drowning of animals.
Flash floods can cause widespread damage to person and property. The maximum impact is
in areas close to the stream. Heavy rains falling on steep terrain can weaken soil and cause
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 52
Nano Mission
Nano Mission is the Government of India's Mission on Nano Science and Technology. The
nodal agency for the mission is the Department of Science and Technology. The focus of the
mission will be on research on fundamental aspects of nano science and training of
manpower, to develop India as a global knowledge-hub in the field. It will strive for
development of products and processes for safe drinking water, materials development,
sensors development, drug delivery etc.
Aditya Mission
The Aditya Mission is India's spacecraft to study the sun. It has been designed and will be
launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) between 2017 and 2020. Its
main objectives are to study the Coronal Mass Ejection and to study the crucial physical
parameters for space weather such as the coronal magnetic field structures, evolution of the
coronal magnetic field etc. It is a low-earth orbit mission with an altitude of 800 kilometres.
It will provide sharp images of the solar corona.
Kaveri Engine
The Kaveri is an aircraft engine designed in India, which was intended to be used in the
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. However, due to certain tecnical inadequacies, it was
delinked from the Tejas programme. The Kaveri is being tested with other aircrafts and
might be developed to be used in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircrafts. The Indian
Railways has also expressed interest in utilizing Kaveri to power locomotives. Kaveri can
also be used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Quantum Cryptography
The foundation of quantum cryptography lies in the Heisenberg uncertainty principle,
which states that certain pairs of physical properties are related in such a way that
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 53
Digital signature
Its core target is to ensure authentication. It relies on certain types of encryption to confirm
that an electronic document created by some person is not altered in any way since the day
of creation.
Q-Climate change negotiations can be seen as drifting towards bipolarity and there are
infinite reasons for its failure than success in near future. Comment
Ever since the beginning of international climate change negotiations, there are two major
blocks of countries with two biometrically opposite views on how to handle climate change.
While the developing and least developed countries (LDC) argue that the rich and
industrialised nations, which have been the major pollutants for the past several years,
should bear most of the burden, the developed countries look at future emissions and argue
that fast growing countries like China and India must play a more active role in battling
climate change.
Countries such as India, China, Egypt, Malaysia etc have come together to form a group of
Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) for climate change negotiations. This group
believes in Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), that is, though climate
change is the common responsibilty of all countries the level of economic development must
also have a bearing upon it.
The other issue of concern is the finance required to combat climate change. Again, the
LMDC believe that as the developed countries are the main cause for the increased levels of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today, they must provide the funds required to mitigate
the effects of it.
These two major issues have become insurmountable barriers in the climate change
negotiations, resulting in bipolarity and doubts over its ability to succeed.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 54
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 55
Cyber-espionage
Cyber espionage is the new spying technique where one country or person can spy on
other country or individual through methods like hacking personal computers, through
internet and malicious software like Trojan Horse. They can monitor and download
vital information's like business activities, secret documents, military information and
are serious threats to national security. They can hack into some one's social networking
profile and e mail account as well. This has been seen recently in case of China being
alleged of doing cyber espionage on USA.
Dhruv-3
It's an indigenously built high performance computing system, it will help in solving
the critical defence research and development applications done by DRDO. It will help
in designing aero-frame structures, stress analysis of materials and simulation of
complex system. It will be especially helpful in designing the advanced aircrafts like
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.
Q-What are the reasons of ever increasing Man and Wild conflict? Mention
the steps you would take as an administrator assigned to tackle the issue?
Man-Wildlife conflicts occur when wildlife requirements overlap with those of human
population, which is caused by following reasons:
1. Shrinking habitats for wildlife due to encreasing population, agricultural expansion,
industrial activities etc.
2. Degredation of habitats and depletion of natural prey base due to encreased human
activities in wildlife areas and forests.
3. Changing crop pattern and suitability of human modified habitats to wild animals. For
example crops like sugercane and tea estates are repoted to provide excellent cover to wild
animals.
4. Rearing of pet annimals and pressence of stray dogs and cattle in forest fringe areas
because they act as attractants for wild animals.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 56
international level can provide a golden opportunity for not only Indian
business and industries to flourish but also to decentralized approach
towards climate change mitigation efforts. Comment
First, access to international climate finance is the most critical element. Indian corporates
have demonstrated their pro-active approach to mitigation. However, direct investment in
climate mitigation on a large economy wide-level is not going to happen easily unless the
cost of mitigation is internalised.
It needs to be front loaded with climate finance which will help meet the incremental
economic costs of mitigation, enable mainstreaming of climate mitigation and adaptation
among the small and medium enterprises, and fund collaborative research and development
in low-carbon technology.
Second, new market mechanisms would have to be devised for the whole business of
climate mitigation to be market-driven.
Third, imposing a carbon tax or price on carbon emission might convey a negative message
to the business community. However, providing a price reduction for carbon emissions can
be very encouraging.
Fourth, a mechanism for technology availability and viability needs to be brought in by the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Fifth, it is critical that trade flows should not be impacted by any measure in the garb of
climate change action that is unilateral in nature.
There are a number of projects which directly or indirectly mitigate climate change. There
are a number of schemes implemented by the government such as national solar mission,
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 57
Q-Write shorts on
MeghRaj Initiative
In order to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing, Government of India has
embarked upon a very ambitious and important initiative GI Cloud which has been
coined as Meghraj.
The National Cloud will help the departments to procure ICT services on demand in the
OPEX model rather than investing upfront on the CAPEX. Some of the features of the
National Cloud include self service portal, multiple Cloud solutions, secured VPN access
and multi location Cloud. NIC is providing Cloud services under the umbrella of MeghRaj.
RoboEarth
It is a World Wide Web for robots: a giant network and database repository where robots
can share information and learn from each other about their behavior and their
environment.
RoboEarth allows sharing and reuse of knowledge between different types of robots. The
goal of RoboEarth is to allow robotic systems to benefit from the experience of other robots,
paving the way for rapid advances in machine cognition and behavior, and ultimately, for
more subtle and sophisticated human-machine interaction.
ASACUSA Experiment
The Atomic Spectroscopy and Collisions Using Slow Anti-protons (ASACUSA) experiment
studies the fundamental symmetries between matter and antimatter by precision
spectroscopy of atoms containing an anti-proton.
It also measures atomic and nuclear cross sections of anti-protons on various targets at
extremely low energies.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 58
Cyber stalking
It is a crime in which the attacker harasses a victim using electronic communication, such as
e-mail or instant messaging (IM), or messages posted to a Web site or a discussion group. It
may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel.
Cyber Stalking may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation
for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten or harass. A cyber stalker
relies upon the anonymity afforded by the Internet to allow them to stalk their victim
without being detected.
Cyber stalking messages differ from ordinary spam in that a cyber stalker targets a specific
victim with often threatening messages, while the spammer targets a multitude of recipients
with simply annoying messages.
Q-India is facing a serious and growing drug abuse problem, including the
INSIGHTS
Page 59
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 60
E-textile
In a broader sense E-textiles refer to the concept of wearable technology. These are the
materials with electronic functionality and at the same time textile characteristic. They
contain conductive yarn, which enables computing, digital components and electronics to be
embedded in them. Also referred to as "Smart or Intelligent Clothing", that allow
incorporation of built-in technological elements in everyday textile and clothing. Their
advantages include, flexibility, cheap manufacturing, invisibility to others, no wires to snag
environment and larger surface area.
E-textiles find application in various fields. In the area of physical therapy and medical
science, these are used to manufacture clothing, which is designed to sensor heart rate and
other body movements. The Georgia Tech Wearable Motherboard, is used to detect bullet
wounds and monitor vital body signals during combat conditions. In the field of IT, they are
used in smart home technologies to detect movements, manufacture of textile switches and
keyboards, among many others.
Semantic web
Semantic Web is being viewed as huge engineering solution for efficiently representing data
on World Wide Web (WWW) and a globally linked data base. It is an extension of the
current web, that provides an easier way to find, share, reuse and combine information.
Semantic web aims at converting the current web dominated by unstructured and semistructured documents into a web of data. Based on a machine readable information, it builds
on XML (Extensible Mark up Language).
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 61
Q-What is the difference between New Exploration and Licensing Policy andOpen
Acreage Licensing Policy? Explain how the new policy would be benefited to
hydrocarbon sector? (200 Words)
The New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was launched by the Government for
accelerating the pace of hydrocarbon exploration in the country. It was introduced to boost
the production of oil and natural gas and providing level playing field for both public and
private players.
Unlike NELP, where government invites bids for a bunch of identified oil and gas blocks,
companies can approach the government anytime expressing interest in bidding for one or
more blocks under Open Exploration Licensing Policy (OALP). The government would then
invite competitive bids from others interested in the same blocks and allocate them based on
the outcome of the bids. This would provide flexibility and frequent opportunity for
investors to participate in exploration and production.
India is moving gradually but inexorably towards the OALP from the current NELP. The
Open Acreage Licensing Policy has been adopted by countries like France, Thailand,
Malaysia, UK and Pakistan.
The OALP system offers opportunity to investors to evaluate acreages round the year and
carve out their own areas with perceived work program commitments. It allows in depth
study of data including the regional data. It provides possibility of collaborative ventures in
data gathering, R &D with Government Agencies/Private companies.
Although DGH /MoPNG have embarked on OALP as far back as in 2004, it has not taken
off as expected. Oft repeated announcements in different forums with no take off dates may
not be conducive. The most important pre-requisite for its implementation is the
establishment of robust National Data Repository (NDR) followed by adoptable policy
initiatives and attendant incentives to the investors.
For better and detail explaination please refer important article ---http://insightsonindia.com/2014/10/23/indias-energy-security-oil-and-gas-sector/
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 62
INSIGHTS
Page 63
Holography
Holography is a technique which enables three-dimensional images (holograms) to be made.
It involves the use of a laser, interference,diffraction, light intensity recording and suitable
illumination of the recording. The image changes as the position and orientation of the
viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object were still present, thus
making the image appear three-dimensional.
Quantum dots
A quantum dot is a nanocrystal made of semiconductor materials that are small enough to
exhibit quantum mechanical properties. Specifically, its excitons are confined in all
three spatial dimensions. The electronic properties of these materials are intermediate
between those of bulk semiconductors and of discretemolecules. They are used in
computing, in cellular imaging, for delivering a gene silencing tool , they have potential to
increase the efficiency of photovoltaic cell.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 64
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 65
Spintronics
A Spintronics is an attempt to bring the quantum physics into real world by using the spin
of an electron to build quantum device. Currently, the electrons is used for current flow and
carrying information in just two states of 0 or 1. But, with Spintronics the spin of the electron
can also be exploited by manipulating the up and down magnetic movements of the
electron. So, a single electron would be able to store much more information that just 0 or 1,
which lead to faster information processing and much more data storage in less space.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 66
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 67
Exascale Computing
Exascale computing refers to computing systems capable of at least one exaFLOPS. Such
capacity represents a thousandfold increase over the first petascale computer that came into
operation in 2008. (One exaflops is a thousand petaflops or a quintillion, 1018, floating point
operations per second.) Today, the world's fastest computer is China's Tianhe-1A, which
performs 2.5 petaflops. At a supercomputing conference in 2009, Computerworld projected
exascale implementation by 2018. Exascale computing would be considered as a significant
achievement in computer engineering, for it is believed to be the order of processing power
of the human brain at neural level (functional might be lower). It is for instance the target
power of the Human Brain Project. An exascale computing system will help in solving
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 68
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR), sometimes referred to as immersive multimedia, is a computersimulated environment that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world or
imagined worlds. Virtual reality can recreate sensory experiences, including virtual taste,
sight, smell, sound, touch, etc.
Bio-printing
bio-printing is a process whereby the key structural and compositional elements of a target
issue is identified and a design is created so that it can be utilized by a bio-printer to
generate the tissue which is mainly used in the laboratory. When the design is made ,it
primarily involves developing bio-fuel protocol which is used to generate the bio-ink. Then
the bio-ink blocks are then dispensed from the bio-printer. Scientists recently used this
bioprinting transplanting the infected organs and tissues of human beings and plants.
Q- Inland Waterways will create more issues than solving some problems
for India. Comment
Inland Waterways have often been considered by the Central Government as an important
means of transport for high volume freight. It is the cheapest available option for
transportation and can help in boosting economic trade.
However, there are major environmental concerns regarding inland waterways. It will result
in the creation of multiple barrages which will convert the river into interlinked ponds and
lakes. As a result, the movement of fishes will be restricted, and some of them might even be
eliminated.
In the absence of fish, aquatic birds will lose their food and migh go elsewhere. The effect on
the biodiversity of the river might be worrisome. For example, the Ganga River Dolphin,
which is already a threatened species may become extinct.
Development of waterways will make way for easy movement of medium sized and big
ships. But the movement of the smaller boats such as those of the fishermen will be greatly
affected. This will impact the livelihood of all the people dependent on fishing.
Further, increased sedimentation due to multiple barrages will also affect the rivers. It will
stop the flow of nutrients in the river thereby affecting aquatic life. Similarly, the land
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 69
INSIGHTS
Page 70
Energy harvesting
Fossil fuels are finite and environmentally costly. Recovering even a fraction of wasted
energy would have a significant economic and environmental impact. Energy harvesting
(EH) helps in this purpose.
Energy harvesting, or energy scavenging, is a process that captures small amounts of energy
that would otherwise be lost as heat, light, sound, vibration or movement. It uses this
captured energy to improve efficiency. For example, computing costs would be cut
significantly if waste heat were harvested and used to help power the computer.
It also helps in enabling new technology like wireless sensor networks, underwater sensors
or black boxes in aero planes etc. where bigger batteries cant be installed. EH also has the
potential to replace batteries for small, low power electronic devices. This has several
benefits like no need to replace batteries which is also environmentally friendly.
Ambient Intelligence
It refers to electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of
people.
Ambient intelligence is closely related to the long term vision of an intelligent service system
in which technologies are able to provide contextual, personalized, adaptive and
participative services.
It has the vision of people living easily in digital environments in which the electronics are
sensitive to people's needs, personalized to their requirements, anticipatory of their behavior
and responsive to their presence.
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 71
http://insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Page 72