Science and Technology (S&T) Digest 16-30 November 2023, Issue 26

Dr Saroj Bishoyi, Research Fellow, VIF

December 18 , 2023 Views: 1146 Comments: 0

In this Issue

I. Defence and Security

Contract with BHEL for Procuring Super Rapid Gun Mount & Accessories

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with M/s Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Haridwar on 28 November 2023, for procurement of 16 Upgraded Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) along with associated equipment/ accessories for Indian Navy (IN) under Buy (Indian) category at a total cost of ₹2956.89 Cr. The upgraded SRGM, which will be manufactured by M/s BHEL at its Haridwar Plant, is a medium caliber anti-missile/anti-aircraft point defence weapon system which provides a sustained rate of fire and high accuracy. Click here to read...

Crest of Project 15B Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer Unveiled

The crest of Yard 12706 (Imphal), the third amongst the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers, was unveiled by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on 28 November. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, this ship is a hallmark of indigenous shipbuilding and is amongst the most technologically advanced warships in the world. The ship was delivered by the MDL to the Indian Navy on 20 October 2023. Click here to read...

Prime Minister Modi Flies in the IDDM LCA Tejas

In a historic milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew a sortie in the indigenously designed, developed and manufactured (IDDM) Tejas Twin Seat Light Combat Fighter aircraft at Bengaluru on 25 November 2023. The Sortie was carried out from the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment, Bengaluru. During the 30-minute sortie, capabilities of fighter aircraft Tejas were demonstrated to the Prime Minister. This is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has flown a fighter aircraft sortie. He described his experience of flying the sortie as memorable. Click here to read...

Launch of Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, LSAM 10 (Yard 78)

The launch of ‘Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, LSAM 10 (Yard 78)’, the fourth Barge of 08 x Missile Cum Ammunition Barge project, built by MSME Shipyard, M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd (SEPPL), Visakhapatnam for Indian Navy, was undertaken on 20 November 2023 at Guttenadeevi, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh (launch site of M/s SEPPL). The availability of these Barges would provide impetus to operational commitments of IN by facilitating Transportation, Embarkation and Disembarkation of articles/ ammunition to IN Ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbours. Click here to read...

Delivery of MCA Barge, LSAM 9 (Yard 77)

The delivery of MCA Barge, LSAM 9 (Yard 77), the third Barge of 08 x MCA Barge project, built by MSME Shipyard, M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, Visakhapatnam for IN, was undertaken on 22 November 2023 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai for INS Tunir. The contract for building 08 x MCA Barge was signed between MoD and M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, Visakhapatnam on 19 February 2021. Induction of these Barges would provide impetus to operational commitments of IN by facilitating Transportation, Embarkation and Disembarkation of articles/ ammunition to IN Ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbours. Click here to read...

Launch of ‘Amini’, Fourth Ship of ASW SWC (GRSE) Project

‘Amini’, the 4th of 08 x ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC) Project being built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for IN, was launched on 16 November 2023 at M/s L&T, Kattupalli. The ship has been named Amini to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Amini at Lakshadweep, located about 400 Km west of Kochi. The contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between the MoD and GRSE, Kolkata on 29 April 2019. As per the build strategy, four ships are being built at GRSE, Kolkata and balance four ships sub-contracted to M/s L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli for hull and part outfitting. Click here to read...

II. STI in Space Sector

India’s Space Economy on the Rise

On 22 November 2023, Union Minister of State for S&T and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India’s Space economy is on the rise, particularly in the last nearly ten years and more so in the last five years. Due to opening up of the Space sector, emergence of Space Startups and Industry linkages, India’s Space economy could skyrocket to $100 Billion in the years to come, as projected by foreign trade experts who are amazed by India's quantum leap. The Minister said that Geospatial technology is being widely used in Prime Minister Gati Shakti infrastructure development programmes and SVAMTVA land mapping. Click here to read...

Diamond Jubilee of India’s First Sounding Rocket Launch from Thumba

The Diamond Jubilee of India’s first sounding rocket launch from Thumba in Kerala providentially coincides with the year 2023 which saw the historic twin feats of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, said Dr. Jitendra Singh. The Minister said that the success of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions reiterates India's indigenous capabilities and vindicates the dream that Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the first Chairman of ISRO and the founding father of India's Space Programme, saw six decades ago. He added, India uses Space Technology in various sectors like SVAMITVA, PM Gati Shakti, Infrastructure such as Railways, Highways & Smart Cities, Agriculture, Water Mapping, Telemedicine and Robotic Surgery, with an aim to bring about ‘Ease of Living’ for the common man. Click here to read...

Deciphering Earthquake Precursors Using Space-Based Observations

Earthquake processes, even relatively smaller ones, have their reflection in the ionosphere, as they influence the amplitudes and periods of coseismic ionospheric perturbations (CIP) along with factors such as geomagnetism and line-of-sights geometry, according to a novel study. The finding can help observing earthquake source processes from the space which may pave the way for deciphering earthquake precursors using space-based observations. Scientists from Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous institution of Department of Science and Technology (DST), in their attempt to verify this assumption for relatively small earthquakes, (less than 8 Mw) analysed near-field CIP of 2023 February Turkey Earthquakes. Click here to read...

Conference Cum Exhibition On ‘Aerospace & Aviation in 2047’

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced an International Conference cum Exhibition on ‘Aerospace & Aviation in 2047’, organised by the Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) to commemorate its 75th Anniversary, in New Delhi on 18 November 2023. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that from its humble beginnings in 1948 till today, the ASI has worked tirelessly to ensure that not only the aeronautics as a knowledge-system grows by leaps and bounds, but it also impacts life of every citizen in a substantial manner. Click here to read...

SpaceX Starship Launch Fails Minutes after Reaching Space

SpaceX's uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, failed in space shortly after lifting off Saturday, cutting short its second test but making it further than an earlier attempt that ended in an explosion. The two-stage rocket ship blasted off from the Elon Musk-owned company's Starbase launch site near Boca Chica in Texas, helping boost the Starship spacecraft as high as 90 miles (148 kilometers) above ground on a planned 90-minute test mission to space and back. But the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster, though it achieved a crucial maneuver to separate with its core Starship stage, exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after detaching, a SpaceX webcast showed. Click here to read...

III. Nuclear Technology

Benefits and Challenges of Floating Nuclear Power Plants

Interest is growing in installing small modular reactors (SMRs) on floating barges or platforms to provide clean electricity and heat for remote coastal locations, to decarbonize offshore oil and gas or mining activities, or even to provide grid scale electricity production, unlocking cost reductions through serial production in shipyards. At an IAEA symposium on floating nuclear power plants that took place from 14-15 November 2023 in Vienna, legal experts, nuclear and maritime regulators, and industry leaders discussed the benefits and challenges of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs). Click here to read...

WANO’s Support of the Safe and Reliable Start-Up of New Nuclear Units

As per the new figures published on 16 November 2023, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) has delivered 159 New Unit Assistance missions to 53 new nuclear units worldwide since 2015. They underline the Association’s unique track record in supporting new nuclear units and technologies worldwide to start up safely and reliably. WANO’s new unit assistance benefits all nuclear operators that are constructing or preparing to start up new units. It helps new units in a number of ways, including New Unit Assistance, Operational Readiness reviews, and Pre-startup reviews. Click here to read...

Role of Nuclear Technology in Climate Change

As world leaders convene at this year's UN Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP28, the IAEA will host and participate in around 50 events from 30 November to 12 December 2023, highlighting the solutions nuclear science and technology can provide in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and monitoring. The IAEA’s Atoms4Climate pavilion in the Blue Zone will feature events focusing on four areas: energy, food, oceans and water. Click here to read...

Fuel Modelling Exercises for Coated Particle Fuel for Advanced Reactors

Global interest is growing in tri-isotropic coated particle (TRISO) fuels, used by high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR). Such reactors have inherent safety features, are highly efficient and can produce the low carbon heat needed to decarbonize industrial processes like steel manufacturing. However, there remain a number of knowledge gaps in the existing research into such fuels, and the IAEA is launching a new coordinated research project (CRP) to improve understanding of TRISO fuel performance and its key properties. Click here to read...

Senior Australian Officials Attended MIT Courses after AUKUS Deal

In 2021, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia formed a partnership, dubbed AUKUS, which will allow the Australian Navy to purchase several nuclear-powered submarines in an effort to modernize their fleet. Shortly after the announcement, Australian Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead in an interview suggested sending staff to MIT. Subsequently, Titled “Nuclear Technology for Marine Propulsion,” the three-week course was attended by 20 senior leaders from the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and other officials, and covered a broad range of topics, including the basics of nuclear reactor theory and design, operations and safety, training, the operation of nuclear shipyards and more. Click here to read...

IV. Emerging Technologies and Applications

Applications of 27 IT Hardware Manufacturers Approved under PLI Scheme

Building on the success of Production Linked Incentive scheme (PLI) for mobile phones, the government had approved PLI Scheme – 2.0 for IT hardware on 17th May 2023. This scheme covers laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, Servers and Ultra Small Form Factor devices. Under the Scheme, applications of 27 IT hardware manufacturers have been approved on 18 November. IT hardware of well-known brands such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc will be manufactured in India. The expected outcomes of this approval, over the tenure of the scheme include: creation of about 50,000 (direct) and about 1.5 lakh (indirect) jobs. Click here to read...

Scientists Fabricate 2D Protein Monolayer

A 2D protein monolayer was fabricated by scientists by assembling lysozyme molecules – model protein in studying diseases like Amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in organs. This amyloid buildup can affect the working of organs like heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract. Scientists from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati (IASST), an autonomous institute of North-East India under the DST have assembled lysozyme molecules as a 2D monolayer at the interface of pure aqueous subphase. Click here to read...

TBD and SIDBI Forge Strategic Alliance to Boost MSMEs

In a significant move to bolster the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector in India, the Technology Development Board (TDB) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate easier access to credit for enterprises engaged in the development and commercial application of indigenous or imported technology. Through this MoU, TDB and SIDBI have entered into a credit alliance, wherein TDB and SIDBI shall refer additional funding needs of companies they have previously funded to each other. Click here to read...

Live Demonstration of Drone Technology in VBSY Events in West Bengal

The adoption of drone technology in the agriculture sector has the potential to transform the way that farmers manage their crops and improve their yields. Drones offer farmers a range of benefits, including increased efficiency, improved yields, and reduced costs. And this initiative has been demonstrated live in the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY), whether it is the gram Panchayat area of Paschim Medinipur, or Bankura or Alipurduar. The initiative earned wide response from the farming sector in the places mentioned. Click here to read...

Completion of Global DPI Repository and Social Impact Fund

Prime Minister Modi announced the launch of two India-led initiatives: the Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Repository and a Social Impact Fund aimed at promoting the development of Social Impact Fund to advance DPI in the Global South during the Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit on 22nd November 2023. The G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG), chaired by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has led the advancement of the global DPI Agenda. Click here to read...

Nationwide Roadshow on Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) PROGRAM

On 17 November 2023, Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar flagged off the Nationwide Roadshow on Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Programme. This roadshow is being jointly organized by C-DAC, IEEE India Council and Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) on 17-18 November 2023, with participation from global leaders in the RISC-V design area. The roadshow aims to provide 1500 participants with valuable insights into the DIR-V VEGA series of processors and their ecosystem, covering both theoretical and practical aspects, including the use of development boards, SDK, and application development. Click here to read...

Teacher Training Workshop on "Nano Quest” Convened at CSIR-CSIO

A specialized Teacher Training Workshop convened at CSIR-CSIO in Chandigarh on 20 November 2023 marked a significant milestone in the realm of science education. The central theme of the workshop, "Nano Quest – A Journey of Exploration through Nanoworld," underscored the commitment of educators to enhance their knowledge and teaching skills in the field of science education. The diverse training modules covered various facets of science education, providing a unique opportunity for educators to learn from esteemed scientists and experts associated with CSIR-CSIO, Chandigarh. Click here to read...

V. International Cooperation

Foxconn To Invest More Than $1.5 billion in India

Foxconn Technology will invest more than $1.5 billion in an Indian construction project to fulfill the Apple supplier’s “operational needs”. The $1.541 billion investment was made through a Foxconn subsidiary, Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development, which has been registered in India’s Maharashtra state since 2015, according to one of the securities filings and Indian corporate records. Foxconn is a major Apple supplier and has significant operations in mainland China. The fresh investment comes a few months after Foxconn pulled out of a $19.5 billion chip making joint venture in India by “mutual agreement,” the company said at the time. Click here to read...

India-UK Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership JWG Meeting

The 2nd India-UK Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership Joint Working Group meeting took place in New Delhi on 21 November 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (Naval Systems), Department of Defence Production Rajeev Prakash and Director, Ships Operations and Capability Integration, Defence Equipment & Support Rear Admiral Steve McCarthy. During the meeting, both sides discussed issues of the Electric Propulsion Partnership like finalisation of Statement of Technical Requirements (SOTR), Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) procedures, maintenance, Manning Philosophy and System Integration requirement. Click here to read...

India and Australia Support Technology and Industry Collaboration

India and Australia held the second bilateral 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on 20 November 2023. In the joint statement, the Ministers highlighted technology and industry cooperation as an essential pillar of the bilateral relationship, and emphasised the role of secure, resilient and trusted technology and supply chains in enhancing national security and driving economic growth. The two sides welcomed the launch of the India-Australia Rapid Innovation and Start-up Expansion (RISE) Accelerator, which aims to enable start-ups with mature tech-based innovations to fast-track their cross-border social, economic and environmental impact through cross-border innovation ecosystem. Click here to read...

Fourth Edition of ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum (AIGIF) Launched

India along with 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) were represented by 200 participants, at the 4th edition of the annual ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum (AIGIF) that was launched in Langkawi, Malaysia on 28th November 2023. The AIGIF is an annual programme focused on fostering a strengthened relationship between India and AMS on the premise of cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). While on one side it aims to give exposure to social innovations in different countries, it also strengthens governance in the grassroots innovation ecosystem. Click here to read...

India and the US to Launch the Joint Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite

India and the US will launch the joint microwave remote sensing satellite for Earth observation, named NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) in the first quarter of next year, Dr Jitendra Singh said during a meeting with a high-level delegation of NASA led by its Administrator Mr Bill Nelson who called on him in New Delhi on 28 November 2023. NISAR is targeted for launch onboard India’s GSLV. Data from NISAR will be highly suitable for studying the land ecosystems, deformation of solid earth, mountain & polar cryosphere, sea ice and coastal oceans in regional to global scale. Click here to read...

Leveraging Technological Transformation though Digital Public Goods

On 17 November 2023, the Leaders from the Global South countries gathered at the second virtual ‘Voice of the Global South Summit’ organized by India, under the theme: ‘Global South: Together for Everyone’s Growth, Everyone’s Trust’. On the issue of Technological transformation, Leaders of the Global South countries, recognized that technology can offer unprecedented opportunities. They further called for more equitable access to the benefits of the digital economy including by addressing the risks and challenges emerging from the use of technologies and ensuring that the benefits of these technologies are available to all. Click here to read...

VI. Regional and Global Trends

Nvidia CEO Says US Needs up to 20 Years to Achieve Chip Independence

Speaking at the New York Times’s DealBook conference in New York, Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, who runs the semiconductor industry’s most valuable company, said that the US is as much as 20 years away from breaking its dependence on overseas chip making. Huang explained how his company’s products rely on myriad components that come from different parts of the world – not just Taiwan, where the most important elements are manufactured. Click here to read...

Applied Materials under US Criminal Probe for Shipments to China's SMIC

Reuters reported that semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials is under U.S. criminal investigation for potentially evading export restrictions on China's top chipmaker SMIC. The largest U.S. semiconductor equipment maker is being probed by the Justice Department for sending equipment to SMIC via South Korea without export licenses. Hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment is involved. The U.S. has restricted shipments of advanced chips and chip making equipment to China for national security, and the Justice and Commerce departments launched a task force earlier this year to investigate and prosecute criminal violations of export controls. Click here to read...

China Makes Key Progress in Closing Mobile Memory Chip Gap

ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) said in a statement on its website that it has produced China’s first lower power Double Data Rate 5 (LPDDR5) dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip, a new generation of memory chip that was first introduced by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics in 2018. The breakthrough, which was achieved amid stepped-up US sanctions to hamper China’s development in advanced chip manufacturing, will enable China to cut reliance on imported products, which are used in electronic gadgets such as mobile phones and laptops. Click here to read...

British AI Chip Firm Graphcore Pulls Out of China

Citing Washington’s latest export restrictions on sales of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips, British semiconductor firm Graphcore is slashing staff in China and will no longer sell products in the country. A company spokesman said in a statement that “The recently updated US export controls mean that Graphcore – in common with other AI hardware manufacturers – is no longer able to sell [intelligence processing unit (IPU)] systems in China”. The company was seen as a potential rival to Nvidia, which has poured resources into customising chips for China that fall outside evolving US restrictions. Click here to read...

Vietnam Intensifies Minding of Rare Earth Mineral

Vietnam, with the world’s second-largest reserves of the rare earths used in such modern devices as electric vehicle batteries and smart phone screens, is intensifying mining of the critical minerals. The industry, though, faces high processing costs, environmental concerns, and the takedown of industry leaders for illegal mining and mineral sales. Vietnam's rare earth resources are second only to those of China, which has held a tight monopoly since the 1980s. With Chinese relations with the West becoming more volatile, many countries are looking for other sources for the elements. "China produces about 60% of the world's rare earths but what they process is over 90%”. Vietnam increased rare earth mining tenfold with its output hitting 4,300 tons last year, compared to 400 tons in 2021. Click here to read...