India’s first human space mission “Gaganyaan”, PM FME Scheme, Government Bans 59 mobile apps, Eco-friendly Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles
1. India’s first human space mission “Gaganyaan”
- Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the launch of India’s first human space mission “Gaganyaan” will not be affected by COVID pandemic and preparation are carrying on in the right direction.
- The training of astronauts has now been resumed and the launch is scheduled to take place as planned, before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.
- At present, four Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilots are under training in Moscow, Russia, and they are likely to be potential candidates for the ‘Gaganyaan’ space mission, according to a PTI report.
- Elaborating on the cabinet decision to encourage private participation in ISRO activities, Dr Jitendra Singh said, a regulatory body called “Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)” is to be established.
- This will help provide a level playing field to private players and encourage their participation.
- About Chandrayaan-3 Lunar mission, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is planned for launch next year.
- The work related to Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan was going on simultaneously.
- This mission will involve a lander, rover and a propulsion system to carry the modules to move but it would not have orbiter as the previous orbiter is fully operational.
2. Eco-friendly Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles from Antarctic Bacteria for Therapeutic Use
- The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and the Goa University (GU) have successfully synthesized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using psychrotolerant Antarctic bacteria through a non-toxic, low-cost, and eco-friendly way.
- Through a study, NCPOR and GU have established that 20-30-nm-sized spherical-shaped GNPs could be synthesized in a controlled environment.
- These GNPs can be used as a composite therapeutic agent clinical trials, especially in anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
- The NCPOR-GU study revealed genotoxic effect of GNPs on a sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB).
- The GNPs displayed enough anti-bacterial properties by inhibiting the growth of SRB and its sulphide production by damaging the genetic information of the DNA of the bacterial cell.
- Genotoxicity describes the property of a chemical agent that is capable of damaging the genetic information of DNA and thus causing mutation of the cell, which can lead to cancer.
- Nanoparticles (NPs) have wide variety of potential applications in the fields of biomedical, optical and electronics research.
- Metallic NPs have been efficiently exploited for biomedical applications and among them GNPs are found to be effective in biomedical research.
What is nanotechnology and nanoparticle (NP)?
- Nanotechnology is a technology that creates new and novel materials through controlled manipulation at a size range of 1 nm (nanometer) to 100 nm (1 nm equals to 10-9 m).
- And NPs are those materials that are at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometres.
- NPs have a high surface-to-volume ratio and they can provide tremendous driving force for diffusion, especially at elevated temperatures.
- Sintering, i.e., coalescing into solid or porous mass by means of heating without liquefaction, can occur at lower temperatures at shorter time scales than larger particles.
- GNPs are melted at much lower temperatures (300 °C) than bulk gold (1064 °C).
- NPs have been found to impart various desirable properties to different day-to-day products.
- For example, GNPs are found to have greater solar radiation absorbing ability than the conventional bulk gold, which makes them a better candidate for use in the photovoltaic cell manufacturing industry.
GNPs are also found to be useful in the electronics industry.
- Scientists have constructed a transistor known as NOMFET (Nanoparticle Organic Memory Field-Effect Transistor) by embedding GNPs in a porous manganese oxide as a room temperature catalyst to break down volatile organic compound in air and combining GNPs with organic molecules.
- NOMFETs can mimic the feature of the human synapse known as plasticity, or the variation of the speed and strength of the signal going from neuron to neuron.
- These novel transistors can now facilitate better recreation of certain types of human cognitive processes, such as recognition and image processing and have their application in artificial intelligence.
- NCPOR and GU have resorted to environmentally acceptable green chemistry procedures to reduce gold ion to GNPs using psychrotolerant Antarctic bacteria.
- Moreover, they did not have to use synthetic chemical additives as stabilizing or reducing agents.
- Use of psychrotolerant Antarctic bacteria is found to have special advantages like mild reaction condition to reduce gold ion to Gold Nanoparticles (GNPs) with a good dispersion capability.
3. Government Bans 59 mobile apps including TikTok, Shareit, Likee etc.
- The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps since in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.
- Over the last few years, India has emerged as a leading innovator when it comes to technological advancements and a primary market in the digital space.
- At the same time, there have been raging concerns on aspects relating to data security and safeguarding the privacy of 130 crore Indians.
- It has been noted recently that such concerns also pose a threat to sovereignty and security of our country.
- The Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.
- The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.
- The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps.
- This Ministry has also received many representations raising concerns from citizens regarding security of data and risk to privacy relating to operation of certain apps.
- The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) has also received many representations from citizens regarding security of data and breach of privacy impacting upon public order issues.
- Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India.
- There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against Apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens.
- On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that such Apps pose threat to sovereignty and integrity of India, the Government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain Apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices.
- This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users.
- This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.
4. PM FME Scheme to benefit 8 lakh units through access to information, training, better exposure and formalization
- Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme on 29th June 2020 as a part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”, in the presence of MoS, FPI Sh.
- Rameswar Teli. Union Minister said that the Scheme would generate total investment of Rs 35,000 crore and generate 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment and benefit 8 lakh units through access to information, training, better exposure and formalization.
- The guidelines of the Scheme were released on the occasion.
- The role of local food processing units, Union Minister said that food products manufactured by the rural entrepreneurs in the villages have a long tradition of supplying Indian food products to the local population.
- Union FPI Minister said that the unorganized food processing sector comprising nearly 25 lakh units contribute to 74% of employment in food processing sector.
- Nearly 66% of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises supporting livelihood rural household and minimizing their migration to urban areas. These units largely fall within the category of micro enterprises.
PM FME scheme:
- With a view to providing financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched an all India “Centrally Sponsored PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme” to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.
- The expenditure under the scheme would to be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs.
- The Scheme adopts One District One Product (ODODP) approach to reap benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products.
- The States would identify food product for a district keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material.
- The ODOP product could be a perishable produce based product or cereal based products or a food product widely produced in a district and their allied sectors.
- Illustrative list of such products includes mango, potato, litchi, tomato, tapioca, kinnu, bhujia, petha, papad, pickle, millet based products, fisheries, poultry, meat as well as animal feed among others.
- Preference would be given to those producing ODOP products. However, units producing other products would also be supported.
- Support for common infrastructure and branding & marketing would be for ODOP products.
- The Scheme also place focus on waste to wealth products, minor forest products and Aspirational Districts.
- Existing Individual micro food processing units desirous of upgradation of their unit can avail credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit. Seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/- per SHG member would be provided for working capital and purchase of small tools.
- FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives would be provided credit linked grant of 35% for capital investment along the value chain.
- Support would be provided through credit linked grant @ 35% for development of common infrastructure including common processing facility, lab, warehouse, cold storage, packaging and incubation center through FPOs/SHGs/cooperatives or state owned agencies or private enterprise to use by micro units in the cluster.
- Support for marketing & branding would be provided to develop brands for micro units and groups with 50% grant at State or regional level which could benefit large number of micro units in clusters.
- The Scheme places special focus on capacity building and research. NIFTEM and IIFPT, two academic and research institutions under MOFPI along with State Level Technical Institutions selected by the States would be provided support for training of units, product development, appropriate packaging and machinery for micro units.
- All the processes of the Scheme would take place on an MIS including applications by entrepreneurs, their processing, approval of various projects by the States and MoFPI, release of grant and other funds and monitoring of the project.
- Individual entrepreneurs and other stake holders desirous of availing assistance under the scheme may contact the State Nodal Agencies of their respective states/ UTs regarding the roll out of scheme and contact points at the district level.
5. ‘Unlocking travel and tourism safely and responsibly during COVID: A healthcare perspective’ under Dekho Apna Desh series
- In the continuation of Dekho Apna Desh webinar series, Ministry Of Tourism introduced latest session in the series on Unlocking Travel & Tourism Safely & Responsibly during COVID on 27th June 2020.
- Dekho Apna Desh Series is an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
- As countries around the globe including India are now gradually opening up trade and industries including travel & tourism, bringing life back to normal remains a major concern.
- The new normal requires every industry to take precautionary and preventive measures to protect its personnel and client from infection.
- There is also need for disseminating scientific information in a simple way and dispelling myths and misinformation.
- In this context, Public Health Foundation of India brings and aims at raising knowledge and awareness of participants regarding preventive measures to be taken for reopening of offices/workplace and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of staff, their family and clients during the time of covid.
- The prevalence of the disease on long term basis shows that it will re-shape all aspects of life and where in new normal the priorities are going to be different.
- The states have came up with various models for this pandemic which is also a positive side for our country.
- This is time to learn or to be educated about this pandemic and coming out of fear should be the basic aim/idea for now.
- It was mentioned that 80% of the covid cases are asymptomatic so the best medicine is the prevention.
- The presenters informed that usage of masks reduces infection spread by 3% per day also the health care workers should use the N95 and 3 PLY surgical masks and the public can use double layer cloth mask which should be properly washed and dried.
- The presenters also informed that there are various varieties of hand sanitizers available in market to choose the appropriate one, one can check the presence of the alcohol present in the sanitizer.
- The session also highlighted some myths based on the covid i.e. Alcohol kills corona, thermal scanning is not good, spraying bleach will protect, holding breath for 10 seconds, covid not present in areas which have high temperature.
- The session also highlighted the Do’s and Don’ts for the travel perspective at the Airport, for the Bus and transport authority, for the hospitality operations, for the food packing, personal hygiene, for the cleaning protocols, dining protocols.
- Also for the mental health it is advised to be connected with people, practice yoga and meditation, spend “me time and we time”, do charity and avoid whatsapp and fake news.
- Besides that, the session explained that Tourism plays a big role in the country’s economy, for jobs as well as for the growth of the nation.
- The webinar concluded that as a country India is battling well with covid-19. Having a huge population which Govt has to take care, each citizen needs to be very responsible and join the efforts of the Government by following the guidelines, safety and precautionary measures, avoid panic and stay connected with people around them.
