BIOTECHNOLOGY :
I. BT is use of biological processes, organisms and systems to manufacture products intended
to improve human life. The science of BT can be broken into sub disciplines :
Red BT medical processes Stem cell therapy, CRISPR , Pharmagenomics
Green BT Agricultural / Food GM Crops , Bio Food fortification ( Vit. A in Rice)
White/Grey Industrial processe development of biofuels for vehicles , Bioremediation (eg oil
BT zapper)
Blue BT Marine and aquatic controlling proliferation of noxious waterborne organisms
II. Department of Biotechnology is nodal agency under Ministry of Science and Technology.
III. National Biotechnology Development Strategy( 2015-2020).
BIOFUEL :
I. India oil demands are met only 23% by domestic production, rest is imported.
II. International Energy Agency(IEA) predicts that by 2022,India will become largest oil importer
increasing its vulnerability to threats of physical supply disruptions and price fluctuations.
III. Biofuel is defined as any fuel whose energy is obtained by biological carbon fixation. For
example : it can be produced from Jatropha
IV. DEBATE: should farmlands be diverted to non food crops like Jatropha, when India is
facing Food security issues also?
V. Generation of biofuels :
A. 1st generation
B. 2nd generation
C. 3rd generation
D. 4th generation
VI. National Biofuel Policy launched by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
A. 20% of blending of biofuel (indicative target)
B. Bio fuel from Non edible oil seeds in waste/marginal lands
C. MSP be announced for these seeds
D. Minimum Purchase Price for purchase of Bio-Diesel and bio-ethanol.
3 Parent Baby / Mitochondrial Gene Therapy :
I. 2 methods: Pronuclear Transfer & Spindle Transfer
II. Ethical Grounds
III. Problems like Parkinsons disease etc
Clustered regulated Interspaced short palindromic repeat : Genome editing technology
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NANOTECHNOLOGY :
Nano-technology deals with designs and systems to manipulate materials at atomic, molecular
and macro molecular level.
Medical Field disease diagnosis, Drug delivery, Cancer diagnosis,
Tissue engineering, Nano Robots, stopping anti
microbial resistance
Agriculture soil health improvement by nano neutralising agent,
nano material based pesticides, Nano -particle
mediated Gene Transfer in plants , Nano gels for
pest control
Defence precision guiding tools, difficult to detect sensors,
robots , nano material based material for combat
role
Food processing Anti bacteria products like Nano silver used as
preserver
Water treatment and Remediation Nano membranes for Water treatment, nano
sensors for detection of contamination
Construction & Energy self cleaning surfaces, heat resistant nano materials
, nano molecular structured to make asphalt more
robust from water seepage.
IT and Computers :
I. Net neutrality
II. BIG Data
III. CryptoCurrency [ Blockchain technology + Encryption]
IV. Cyber Physical Systems
V. Augmented Reality vs Virtual Reality
VI. Li-Fi
VII. RFiD
[Link] mapping and Geo tagging
SPACE
1. Outer Space treaty : need
2. Need for Space policy : for both civilian and strategic perspective
3. Human Landing on Moon
4. NAVIC - IRNSS - Standard positioning system and Restricted services , Bhuvan , Gagan
5. MOM
6. Success of ISRO [Comparison with DRDO]
7. Space Debris
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IPR
A. Only 0.82% of GDP spent on R&D as compared to 1.8% of China of much greater GDP
B. Initiatives : INCUBATORS , AIM, STEP, Improved Patent Regime
C. All India Research Grid for sharing of Knowledge
D. Prime Minister Research Fellowship - 1000 PhDs at IITs - BUDGET speech
I. Types of IPR :
A. Patent: Patent act 1979
B. Trademark : Trademarks Act 1999
C. Geographical Indications : Geographical indication of Good Act 1999
D. Copyright : Copyrights act 1957
E. Design : Designs Act 2000
F. Plant Variety Protection
II. National IPR policy 2016
A. DIPP as nodal body
B. Awareness generation at school and college level
C. Effective enforcement of IPR Regime.
D. Encouragement of IPR commercialisation
E. retains TRIPS provisions of preventing ever-greening and Compulsory licensing
F. incentives of tax benefits and fee waivers to New start ups
G. 7 Objectives:
1. IPR Awareness, Generation of IPRs, Legal and legislative framework, administration
and management, Commercialisation of IPR, Enforcement and adjudication , Human
Capital Development.
H. ISSUES:
1. Confuses IPR with innovation.
2. openness, sharing & access to knowledge given backseat.
3. Criminalised the civil wrong of unauthorised copying.
4. Public funded research to be mandatorily convert all research into IPR
III. New Trademark Rules 2017
1. Ease in filling trademarks
2. reduction from 74 forms to mere 8 forms
3. expedited process of registration application
4. Online filing fees 10% lower than physical filing fees
5. Time bound resolution of disputes.s
6. Hearing of disputes through video conferencing allowed.
IV. TRIPS PLUS : Data Exclusivity , Patent Term Extension , Petty Patents( Utility Patents) , CRI
( Computer Related Algorithms)
V. Generic medicines :
A. MCI 2016 Ethics code for doctors mandates prescription of Generic drugs.
B. Health Ministry proposed changes in Drug and Cosmetics Act for Generic names to be
printed in bigger fonts than brand names
C. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya JANAUSHADI YOJANA, 861 centres opened across country to
supply generic drugs
D. PHARMACEUTICAL Regime :
1. NPPA , NLEM, DPCO, quality of drug standard ensured by CDSCO - Central Drug
Standard Control Organisation
VI. BIOPIRACY AND BIO PROSPECTING : Biopiracy is practice of commercially exploiting
naturally occurring biochemicals or genetic materials by obtaining patents that restrict its
future use, while failing to pay fair compensation to community from which it originates. Bio
Prospecting is process of discovery and commercialisation of new products based on
natural biological resources. India is member country to CBD 1993 and has also enacted
Biodiversity Protection Act 2002 to ensure Equitable sharing of Benefits. There is therefore
need of National Bio prospecting policy.
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CONTRIBUTION OF INDIANS AND INDIGENISATION OF TECHNOLOGY
I. TECHNOLOGY VISION DOCUMENT 2035 ( Niti Aayog)
A. It is vision where our county and its citizens should be in 20135 and how technology
should bring this vision to fruition.
B. Identifies 12 sectors like Education , Health, Food and Water, Energy, Environment,
Manufacturing, ICT etc
C. also identifies 12 Prerogatives ( 6 for individuals and 6 for collective) : like 24x7 energy to
individual , universal health care to individual & Transparent and effective governance etc
in Collective prerogative.
D. Gives Call of Action to all key stakeholders :
1. Knowledge creation
2. increase in number of full time scientists
3. private sector participation
4. technical education quality improvement etc
II. INDIGENISATION OF DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY :
A. Make in India
B. FDI in Defence
C. New Defence production Policy and defence procurement policy
D. 2 Defence Corridors
E. GRIPEN (SAAB) vs F-16 ( LOCKHEED MARTIN) under Strategic Partnership Model
F. Technology transfer issues.
G. Role of DRDO :
1. Success : conceived by APJ Abdul Kalam : Integrated Guided Missile Development
Program (1983) : Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Nag, Trishul etc . In 2008, DRDO announced
completion of program. AGNI V is 5000 Km Surface to Surface, inter continental
Ballistic Missile
2. Failures
III. India Based Neutrino Observatory
IV. CERN Membership
V. Deep Ocean Mission - poly metallic nodules present in abundance at sea floor containing
nickel copper cobalt, cadmium , vanadium etc.
A. Ministry of Earth Sciences proposing to launch Deep Ocean mIssion which will be first of
its kind. EEZ allowed to India will be covered in this mission.
B. Blue Economy - GUNTER Pauli
VI. Fast Neutron Reactor - Russia has invited India to join it in developing Next Generation
nuclear reactors. FNR does away with the need of moderator such as water which serves
such a purpose in Thermal Reactor.
VII. BharatQR Code - NPCI -7089 digits , error correction , 360Deg rotation , 2D Bar code , one
dimension bar code can contain only upto 20 digits.