Science and Technology (S&T) Digest (1-15 July 2024), Issue 41

Dr Saroj Bishoyi, Research Fellow, VIF

July 22 , 2024 Views: 9 Comments: 0

In this Issue

I. Defence and Security

Setting up Testing Facilities in UAS and Electronic Warfare

Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed an MoU to establish three state-of-the-art testing facilities in Chennai under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor - one each in Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electro Optics (EO) domains. The MoU, under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), was exchanged between senior officials of MoD and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi on 2 July 2024. The DTIS provides up to 75% government funding as ‘Grant-in-Aid’, with the remaining 25% funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs), comprising Indian private entities and State/Central Governments. Click here to read…

GRSE Accelerated Innovation Nurturing Scheme (GAINS 2024) Launched

“GRSE Accelerated Innovation Nurturing Scheme (GAINS 2024) of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) was launched in Kolkata on 10 July 2024. It is an innovative scheme which seeks solution to the problems related to the shipyards and promotes technology development using the start-ups created and nurtured in the country. It encourages and enables MSMEs and Start-Ups to develop innovative solutions for further technological advancement. This initiative is in keeping with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start-up India’ policies of the Government of India. Click here to read…

Reforms in Enhancing Domestic Defence Production

The Ministry of Defence is committed to undertake further reforms in Defence Production and to handhold the eco system by implementing the Industry 4.0/QA 4.0 to bolster the Manufacturing, the Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said during a keynote address at a National Level Seminar on Quality Reforms held virtually by Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) in association with Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) on 9 July 2024. He underlined the importance of achieving the stipulated goals laying emphasis on the need for achieving Atmanirbharata in defence manufacturing and the key role of all stakeholders, especially domestic Defence Industry in realizing this vision. Click here to read…

Development of Drone Ecosystem in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is ready to promote the drone industry that has seen rapid growth in the last three years, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal said during his address at the International Innovation Conclave organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI) in New Delhi. Praising the development of technology and growth in the drone industry on the strength of innovation, the Minister asserted that development of the drone ecosystem and deploying them in villages across the nation aligns with the PM’s ‘NAMO Drone Didi’ initiative that will help empower the women in the agriculture sector. Click here to read…

Role of TDF Scheme in Promoting ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in Defence

The Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme is encouraging the participation of public/private industries, especially start-ups and MSMEs, to create an ecosystem aimed at enhancing the capabilities in cutting-edge technology and promoting ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. The TDF scheme is a flagship programme of Ministry of Defence executed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the 'Make in India’ initiative. Till date, a total of 77 projects, with a commitment of over Rs 300 crore, have been sanctioned to various industries, and 27 defence technologies have been successfully realised under the scheme. Click here to read…

II. STI in Space Sector

Space Tech Startup Fuelling India’s March Towards Low-Cost Space Missions

An innovative two-stage orbital launch vehicle called Agnibaan powered by India’s first patented Single-Piece 3D-printed Semi-Cryogenic Engines developed and incubated at IIT Madras was launched on 30th May 2024, marking a significant milestone for the country’s space ecosystem. The state-of-the-art launch vehicle paves the way for more frequent missions for India and also for making the country a commercial hub in the space sector. The Launch Vehicle has been developed by Agnikul, a startup in space-tech. Agnikul is incubated at Incubation Cell, IIT Madras [a TBI supported by Department of Science and Technology (DST)] and has been showcased in startup expo during DST‘s Startup Utsav during August 2022. Click here to read…

Aditya-L1 Completes First Halo Orbit around Sun-Earth L1 Point

On 2 July 2024, India's first solar mission Aditya-L1 spacecraft completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement. The Aditya-L1 mission is an Indian solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1, launched on 2 September 2023 and was inserted in its targeted halo orbit on 6 January. Aditya-L1 spacecraft in the Halo orbit takes 178 days to complete a revolution around the L1 point. During its travel in the halo orbit, the spacecraft will be subjected to various perturbing forces that will cause it to depart from the targeted orbit, the ISRO stated. Click here to read…

First Indian in Space and other Indian in Deep Sea by 2025

World to witness 1st Indian in Space and other Indian in Deep Sea by 2025, says Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on the stage of Bharat 24 News network during his address in Delhi on 4th July 2024. Speaking on India’s progress in Space and Marine sector, Dr. Jitendra Singh shared that four astronauts-three Group Captains and one Wing Commander have been selected for India’s 1st Human Space Mission-Gaganyaan. Similarly, he also shared that India’s Deep-Sea mission will send three Indians to deep sea in 2025. He said “Space sector is limited to launch rockets and satellites but it will also propel growth and positively impact agriculture, infrastructure, communication, healthcare etc.” Click here to read…

NASA Astronauts Confident of Boeing Capsule’s Safe Earth Return

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore who travelled to the International Space Station on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and were supposed to have returned to Earth in June 2024 might have to remain in space a few weeks longer till August 2024. As engineers continue to sort out technical issues that has kept the duo in space longer than scheduled, Williams and Wilmore spoke to reporters in their first press conference from space. Williams and Wilmore are the first human crew on the historic test mission of the Boeingbuilt Starliner capsule. Click here to read…

Global Aerospace Summit 2024

Representing the aerospace, aviation, space, and defence sectors, the premier thought leadership forum in UAE will aim to accelerate investments to drive greater sustainability, youth engagement and innovation for the industry. The Summit is a CEO-led, critical meeting of the world's aerospace supply chain that brings together sector and government leaders at the highest level for strategy development and partnerships. The two-day event will take place on 25-26 September at the St. Regis, Saadiyat Island Resort in the UAE capital - Abu Dhabi. Click here to read…

III. Nuclear Technology

Seafood Contamination Detected with Nuclear Techniques

Scientists at the IAEA are helping local researchers in Cuba find dangerous biotoxins in marine algae that can lead to outbreaks of contaminated seafood. Ciguatoxins are poisons produced by harmful blooms of microscopic algae, which occur mostly in tropical areas and mainly affect small island developing states. These biotoxins can accumulate in the food chain, especially in larger fish, presenting a risk to humans who consume them. To address the ciguatoxin problem, the IAEA has been building capacity for ciguatera monitoring through nuclear and isotopic techniques that can quickly identify biotoxins in seafood and accurately identify outbreaks compared to other methods. Click here to read…

Concern over Rising 'Cancer' Cases Due To Radioactive Materials in Pakistan

Locals in Pakistan's Dera Ghazi Khan and nearby areas in Pakistan have witnessed a steep rise in the number of cancer and skin disease patients. In a statement by the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) said that the worsening situation is allegedly due to the extraction of radioactive materials and dumping of the waste untreated in the Koh-i-Sulaiman mountainous areas of the country, According to the report titled 'Their denial and our silence both are killing Baloch' of BWF, the locals of DG Khan have reported an alarming rise in illnesses such as bone marrow-related problems, liver cancer, lung cancer, kidney illness, bone cancer, facial tumour, and intestinal cancer. Click here to read…

IAEA Announces €13.7 million in Support to Small Island Developing States

The IAEA announced its commitment of €13.7 million in support to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the United Nations 4th International Conference on SIDS in May 2024. Conference delegates heard how 26 SIDS will benefit from these funds in 2024–2025 through 49 technical cooperation projects addressing ocean pollution; microplastics monitoring; cancer care; nutrition; and water resource management. Convened every ten years, the International Conference on SIDS brings together SIDS representatives and members of the international community to take stock of small islands’ pressing needs and find new paths to tackle common obstacles. Click here to read…

Planning Human Resources for Research Reactor Programmes

For countries looking to introduce or expand a research reactor programme, developing a human resource management (HRM) strategy is typically a box to check before embarking on what is a significant investment. The IAEA supports countries on HRM through modelling tools, educational resources, publications and peer review services. The nuclear industry requires a high standard of quality when it comes to planning human resources, including for research reactor programmes, and it relies on a well-trained workforce for safety and sustainability. Click here to read…

IV. Emerging Technologies and Applications

Design & Development of High Performance Computing Processor AUM

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has partnered with MosChip® Technologies, and Socionext Inc. for the design and development of a High-Performance-Computing (HPC) Processor SoC based on the Arm® architecture and built on TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited) 5nm technology node. C-DAC, established to develop and deploy the state-of-the-art supercomputing technology in India, is working towards its complete indigenization & in this direction has developed indigenous compute node RUDRA, Trinetra-Interconnect and System Software stack. Further, for complete indigenization of HPC system development, C-DAC is designing an indigenous HPC Processor AUM. Click here to read…

Two Days’ Global INDIAai Summit 2024 Held in New Delhi

Tw days’ Global INDIAai Summit 2024 held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Over the two days, 12 side sessions were organized, which were graced by 2,000 global AI experts, Policy makers, AI practitioners, Industry/Startups, and Academia. Over 10,000 AI enthusiasts joined the session virtually. Some additional sessions were held in closed door meetings having delegates and experts of Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). The side sessions were held in public and live streamed for wider participation. The key highlights and outcomes of the summit include India set the global discourse by emphasizing the intent of the Government to democratize AI and make it accessible to all; the OECD - OCDE and GPAI announced a new integrated partnership on AI at New Delhi. Click here to read…

Sixth Meeting of the GPAI Ministerial Council held in New Delhi

The 6th meeting of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Ministerial Council was held on 3rd July 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi in a hybrid mode. The meeting was chaired by Minister of State Electronics and Information Technology and Commerce & Industry, Jitin Prasada. After extensive discussions and deliberations, the members came to a consensus about the future vision of GPAI. They Recognize the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future of our societies and economies, the opportunities that safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems represent to accelerate and enable progress towards the achievement of sustainable development. Click here to read…

Nine Years of the Digital India Initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the transformative impact of Digital India and lauded the successful completion of nine years of the initiative and said that Digital India symbolizes an empowered India which boosts Ease of Living and transparency. He also shared a glimpse of the strides made in the last decade. In a repost from MyGovIndia on the social media platform X, PM Modi underscored the role of technology in shaping a more empowered and transparent India, enhancing the ease of living for millions of its citizens. The Digital India initiative was conceived to make government services accessible to all citizens electronically, thereby fostering a more inclusive and efficient society. Click here to read…

Quantum Standardization and Testing Labs

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced call for proposals, titled "Quantum Standardization and Testing Labs," and has invited submissions from Indian academic institutions or R&D institutions, either individually or in partnership. The main objective is to accelerate research and development in quantum technologies, ensuring the interoperability, reliability, and security of quantum communication systems. These labs will serve as innovation hubs, uniting quantum technology developers, testing equipment manufacturers, and academic researchers to explore and harness the full potential of quantum technologies for the benefit of all citizens. Click here to read…

V. International Cooperation

India-Russia Defence Technology Cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Russia on 8-9 July 2024 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin for the 22nd India – Russia Annual Summit. In the Joint Statement, the both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India programme through transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Indian Armed Forces as well as subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries by the Sides’ approval. In this regard, the Sides agreed on establishing a new Working Group on Technological Cooperation and discussing its provisions during the next meeting of IRIGC-M&MTC. Click here to read…

India-Russia S&T Cooperation

In the Joint Statement issued during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Russia, the two countries emphasized the importance of joint research in science, technology and innovation. The two sides agreed to work together in the framework of the Roadmap for Science, Technology & Innovation Cooperation of 2021 to boost innovation-related collaborations between the two countries, and focus on commercialization of technologies and full-cycle support to joint projects for economic and societal impact. Both sides agreed to explore the creation of International centers for Innovative Entrepreneurship & Inter-Cluster Interactions to improve Technology Partnerships. They identified potential areas of cooperation as agriculture and food science and technology, ship building and repair, blue economy, marine industry & ocean resources, chemical science & technology, etc. Click here to read…

India-Austria Technology Partnership

At the invitation of Chancellor Mr Karl Nehammer, Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit to Austria from 9-10 July 2024. In the Joint Statement, the two leaders identified a stronger economic and technology partnership between the two countries as a strategic objective. They recognised the vital importance of research, scientific tie-ups, technology partnerships and innovation in driving forward the bilateral partnership and called for all such opportunities to be explored in mutual interest. They emphasised the need for stronger collaboration to develop and commercialise technologies in identified areas through new business, industry and R&D partnership models. The leaders identified a range of environmental technologies for targeted cooperation in areas such as clean transportation, water and wastewater management, waste management, renewable energy and other clean technologies. Click here to read…

Australia-India Strategic Research Fund

Minister for S&T Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled the results of the 15th round of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF). The successful projects that have been awarded funding under the prestigious program were announced today through a press note. The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is a bilateral program that supports collaborative research projects between Australia and India. It aims to strengthen the scientific relationship between the two countries and address common challenges through joint research efforts. This year, the AISRF has awarded funding to five projects across various disciplines, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, biotechnology, urban mining and electronic waste recycling, ultralow-cost solar and clean hydrogen technologies. Click here to read…

GSV Vadodara-Airbus Sign Agreement for Aerospace Teaching & Research

On 5 July 2024, Indian Railways’ Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara and Airbus entered into collaboration to significantly strengthen the Indian aviation sector. The agreement includes a full scholarship program for 40 GSV students for the entire program duration, setting up the Centre of Excellence at GSV as well as the Airbus Aviation Chair Professor position at GSV. Further, GSV and Airbus will partner for executive training for working professionals in the aviation sector. Focusing exclusively on transport and logistics sectors, GSV is a “first of its kind” university aiming to fulfill the mandate of the National Developmental Plans across railways, aviation, shipping, ports, highways, roads, and waterways. Click here to read…

VI. Regional and Global Trends

AI Method Radically Speeds Predictions of Materials’ Thermal Properties

It is estimated that about 70 percent of the energy generated worldwide ends up as waste heat. If scientists could better predict how heat moves through semiconductors and insulators, they could design more efficient power generation systems. However, the thermal properties of materials can be exceedingly difficult to model. A team of researchers from MIT and elsewhere tackled this challenge by rethinking the problem from the ground up. The result of their work is a new machine-learning framework that can predict phonon dispersion relations up to 1,000 times faster than other AI-based techniques, with comparable or even better accuracy. Compared to more traditional, non-AI-based approaches, it could be 1 million times faster. Click here to read…

Foxconn to Invest $551 Million in Two Projects in North Vietnam

Foxconn, the Taipei-based supplier to Apple Inc., will invest about $551 million in two new projects in Vietnam’s northern coastal province of Quang Ninh. The company has been granted a license for a $264 million project in Song Khoai Amata Industrial Park to produce smart entertainment products, with designed capacity of about 4.2 million units per year, according to a posting on the provincial government’s website. It’s also been permitted to invest in a $287 million project in Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park to make smart-system equipment, the posting said. Click here to read…

Germany in Deal to Cut Huawei's Role in 5G Wireless Network

The German government and mobile phone carriers have agreed in principle on steps to phase components by Chinese technology companies out of the nation's 5G wireless network over the next five years. Newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung as well as broadcasters NDR and WDR earlier jointly reported the news, saying the agreement gives network operators Deutsche Telekom, opens new tab, Vodafone, opens new tab and Telefonica Deutschland, opens new tab, opens new tab more time to replace critical parts. Germany is considered a laggard in implementing the European Union’s security measures for 5G networks. Click here to read…

Chinese GPU Start-Up Moore Threads Upgrades its AI Data Centre Solution

Chinese Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) start-up Moore Threads has unveiled an upgrade to the capability of its artificial intelligence (AI) data centre solution KUAE, boosting the number of GPUs connectable in a single computing cluster to 10,000, as US sanctions continue to hobble its technology progress. The company, founded in 2020 by a former Nvidia China veteran, said in a statement that the upgrade puts more GPUs into the single computing cluster via high-speed connectivity to provide infrastructure for China’s innovation in AI. Separately, Moore Threads completed a new round of financing of up to 2.5 billion yuan (US$343.7 million), Chinese news outlet Jiemian reported. Click here to read…

Semiconductor, AI Firms Dominate Venture Capital Deals in China

China’s largest venture capital investments are increasingly coming from technology sectors that align with the government’s policy goals, such as AI and semiconductors, even as overall funding continues to plunge. The country contributed 90 per cent of global venture capital investments in the chip sector last year, totalling US$22.2 billion and more than doubling the US$9.5 billion invested in 2022, research firm Preqin said in a report. State-backed investors are playing a growing role in private market funding in China, participating in about 60 of the 100 largest deals from 2021 to June 2024, twice as many as from 2017 to 2020. Click here to read…