Civil Services Simplified: Decoding the Enigma of UPSC by Dr. CP. Kaushik

National Quantum Mission (NQM): • The Union Cabinet had approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) to support scientific and industrial research in quantum technology, with a cost of Rs. 6,003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31. • It aims to place India among the top six leading nations after US, Austria, Finland, France and China. ** Quantum Computing is an area of computer science focused on the development of technologies based on the principles of quantum theory. •I t uses the unique behaviours of quantum physics to solve problems that are too complex for classical computing. • Classical computers today employ a stream of electrical impulses (1 and 0) in a binary manner to encode information in bits. This restricts their processing ability compared to quantum computing. •Quantum computing uses subatomic particles, such as electrons or photons. Quantum bits, or qubits, allow these particles to exist in more than one state (i.e., 1 and 0) at the same time. • Qubits can exploit the interference between their wave-like quantum states to perform calculations that might otherwise take millions of years.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 23: 1.PROJECT SANJAY: • The army under ‘Project Sanjay’ is working on creating battlefield surveillance system for composite operational picture. • Project Sanjay seeks to create multiple surveillance centres for the field formations and enable the integration of a large number of sensors. 2. Project Kusha: • India is set to deploy its own Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (LR-SAM) defence system Project Kusha by 2028-29 under DRDO o Will be designed to detect and destroy a wide array of threats, including stealth fighters, aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. o Will comprise three layers of surface-to-air missiles, each designed to engage targets at different ranges capable of hitting at 150, 250, and 350 km. 3. Patriot Air Defense Missile System: ** Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept on Target, represents the most advanced air defense system in the U.S. Army's arsenal. • It serves as an all-weather surface-to-air missile defense system capable of countering tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft. 4. Project Akashteer: **Project Akashteer is an initiative developed by Bharat Electronics Limited under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' scheme. •It aims to automate air defense control and reporting processes. 5. Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT): • ISRO has unveiled plans to launch 50 satellites over the next 5 years, aimed at bolstering intelligence gathering capabilities. These satellites will be positioned in various orbits to enable comprehensive tracking of troop movements and high-resolution imaging of vast geographical areas. • Geospatial Intelligence is an intelligence discipline that uses geospatial data to understand and visually depict human activity at specific geographic locations.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 22: 1. TANTALUM: Researchers found the presence of tantalum in the Sutlej river sand in Punjab which is rare metal & possesses high corrosion resistance. * It is almost completely immune to chemical attacks at temperatures below 150°C. Its potential uses in industries like Electronics and semiconductors, nuclear power plants, aeroplanes, biomedicals etc. and can be used to Substitute Platinum due to its high melting point and lower cost. 2. WHITE PHOSPHORUS: • As per Human Rights Watch, Israel fired white phosphorus bombs over Gaza and Lebanon during their conflict with Hamas. • White phosphorus is used by military in form of various types of ammunition as an incendiary agent because it spontaneously catches fire in air when it comes into contact with oxygen. o Used as a component in fertilisers, food additives and cleaning compounds. o Impact of white phosphorous- severe deep burns, systemic toxicity, coughing, headache etc • White phosphorus weapons are not banned, but their use in civilian areas is considered a war crime. • White phosphorus is not a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), as it acts as an incendiary agent and not through its “chemical action on life processes. 3. NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE 2023 for Discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19: mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein-or even just a piece of a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. In vitro transcribed mRNA or synthetic mRNA is the synthetic form of mRNA that is used in mRNA-based vaccines. (It is created outside of a living cell.) ** RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural process by which cells use short, double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to recognize messenger RNAs (mRNAs) with exquisite specificity. • It leads to their enzymatic destruction and preventing their translation into a protein. • Therefore, they inhibit gene function. 4. NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY 2023 for Discovery and development of quantum dots: ** Quantum Dots (QDs) are man-made semiconductor particles or crystal, size is normally not more than 10 nanometers. o At the nano scale, material show new distinct properties because of quantum physical forces. o Denoted as artificial atoms or zero dimensional electron systems. * They exhibit quantum confinement (particles confined to a very small space), which leads to many unique optical and transport properties. 5. NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS 2023 awarded for: Experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter: Electron dynamics is the behaviour and movement of electrons within atoms and molecules. • Atoms can move and turn in millionths of a billionth of a second, known as femtoseconds (10−15 second). Key applications of attoseconds in FAST Electronics MEDICAL Diagnostics & even in MATERIAL Science.

Prelims on 25/5 and Mains from 22nd August!!!!

Calendar for Next year.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 21: 1. Vaccine Drive to Fight Cervical Cancer: The drive will involve CERVAVAC vaccine which is based on VLP (Virus-Like Particles), similar to the Hepatitis B vaccination. **Girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years across India will be vaccinated for free in three phases under the government’s programme over the next three years. HPV, Human Papilloma Virus, a common sexually transmitted infection, causes most cervical cancer. It affects the skin, genital area, and throat. •The body's immune system typically prevents HPV damage, but in a small percentage of people, the virus survives for years, contributing to the development of cervical cancer cells. ** The quadrivalent vaccines, including the Serum Institute of India’s Cervavac, prevent the entry of four of the most common types of HPV. 2. Operation AMRITH (Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention for Total Health): The Kerala Government's Operation AMRITH has implemented the original H1 rule, which mandates the requirement of a doctor's prescription for the purchase of any class of antibiotics. •This initiative makes Kerala as the first state to enforce this regulation since its announcement. Original H1 Rule of 2011: The Union government introduced the H1 rule, prohibiting over-the-counter (OTC) sales of antibiotics without a prescription, in response to the growing concern over Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) which got Modified y H1 Rule of 2013 following the Chennai Declaration. 3. Mission Utkarsh: The Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Women and Child Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement Ayurveda interventions for nutritional improvement in adolescent girls aged 14-18 under Mission Utkarsh. Under the ambit of Mission Utkarsh, the concerted efforts of 15 central ministries/departments will be directed towards uplifting districts that currently lag behind state and national averages. **Initially, the emphasis will be placed on enhancing the anaemic status of adolescent girls aged 14-18 in five aspirational districts spanning across five states: Assam (Dhubri), Chhattisgarh (Bastar), Jharkhand (Paschimi Singhbhum), Maharashtra (Gadchiroli), and Rajasthan (Dhaulpur). 4. Havisure: Hepatitis A vaccine •Hyderabad-based Indian Immunological Ltd (IIL)M launched India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine ‘Havisure’. ** It was launched in 2014 and is a two-dose vaccine recommended for children with routine immunizations starting at 12 months of age. **While Hevisure is marketed primarily for children, it can also be administered to adults who are at risk of Hepatitis A infection due to travel, occupation, or other factors. 5. Tricholime: **The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) Kozhikode have successfully developed a new granular lime-based Trichoderma formulation, “Tricholime”. • It combines two powerful tools for sustainable agriculture: Trichoderma – a beneficial fungus that acts as a biocontrol agent – and lime – which neutralizes soil acidity. • Tricholime effectively neutralizes soil acidity. • The Trichoderma fungus present in Tricholime acts as a natural enemy to several soilborne pathogens that cause diseases in crops. • Tricholime also promotes microbial activity in the soil, leading to better nutrient cycling.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 20: 1. Igla-S anti- aircraft missiles: **Russia has recently signed a contract to supply Igla-S hand-held anti-aircraft missiles to India and allow production of the Igla under licence in India. • The Igla-S is a man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) that can be fired by an individual or crew to bring down an enemy aircraft with a range of upto 6km. 2. mRNA Vaccines: ** 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. *Messenger RNA (mRNA) – It is a type of vaccine that uses a copy of mRNA to produce an immune response. mRNA is a molecule that encodes a sequence that can be made into a protein. • mRNA vaccine attempts to activate the immune system to produce antibodies that help counter an infection from a live virus. • Spike protein- mRNA vaccines only introduce a piece of the genetic material that corresponds to a viral protein. This is usually a protein found on the membrane of the virus called spike protein. • Therefore, the mRNA vaccine does not expose individuals to the virus itself. • Foreign protein- The vaccine delivers molecules of antigen coding mRNA into immune cells, which use the designed mRNA as a blueprint to build foreign protein that would normally be produced by a pathogen or by a cancer cell. 3. Noma: Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has added the health challenge noma to its official list of neglected tropical diseases (NTD). • It is a severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and face. • It is also known as cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis. • Susceptible – Children aged 2-6 years old. • Spread – In developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. • Risk factors - Poor oral hygiene, malnutrition, weakened immune systems, infections, and extreme poverty. Noma is called as ‘Face of poverty’ as effective drugs like sulfonamides and penicillin and adequate surgical treatment remain inaccessible for many. 4. Palliative Care: **The Government’s revised non-communicable diseases guidelines were criticised for the lack of focus on palliative care. • Palliative care is the branch of medicine focusing on improving the quality of life and preventing suffering among those with life-limiting illnesses. • It aims to identify patients at risk of over-medicalisation at the expense of quality of life and financial burden on the family. • It is an approach to care that addresses the person as a whole, not just their disease • Palliative care is available at any time, regardless of the stage of the illness or life expectancy whereas Hospital care is available only at the end of life. 5. Dual Disinfection-Solidification System: National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) has developed a technology that will safely and sustainably manage pathogenic biomedical waste. *It instantly disinfect both liquid and solid biomedical waste, including urine, saliva and blood, bacterial broths, cotton, tissues, swabs, needles, and syringes. • It converts the degradable wastes into soil additives and lab disposables are prepared for direct recycling. • This waste can include urine, saliva and blood, bacterial broths, cotton, tissues, and swabs. NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, is a constituent Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR).

Target Prelims 2024: Day 19: 1. OSIRIS-Rex mission: **NASA's Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex) mission is set to drop a capsule containing samples from the asteroid Bennu to Earth. • It is a spacecraft that traveled to an asteroid named Bennu and collected a sample of rocks and dust from the surface. • This mission will help to investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve the understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth. • Asteroid Bennu - Named after an Egyptian deity, Bennu is located about 200 million miles away from the Earth. 2. Psyche Mission: **Psyche mission fires lasers at Earth from 16 million kilometres away, successfully demonstrating the future of communication in space. • Launched by - NASA in 2023, to study the metallic asteroid called ‘16 Psyche’, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. • Mission – By 2029, the spacecraft will begin exploring the asteroid and will spend about 2 years orbiting the asteroid. • It will take pictures, map the surface, and collect data to determine Psyche’s composition. 3. Carbon-dioxide Auroras: NASA’s satellite spots infrared carbon dioxide aurora from outer space • Aurora - When solar storm interacts with the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth's atmosphere, it results in beautiful displays of light called auroras. Oxygen gives off green and red light and Nitrogen glows blue and purple. * In the north, the display is called aurora borealis, or northern lights. • In the south, it is called aurora australis, or southern lights. • Other planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) in our solar system have auroras. • Carbon-dioxide Auroras - While carbon dioxide is known for its effects on the troposphere as a greenhouse gas, it also exists in trace amounts in Earth's atmosphere at the edge of space. 4. Sagar Maitri Mission: Recently, an oceanographic research vessel ‘INS Sagardhwani’ embarked on Sagar Maitri (SM) Mission-4. • Sagar Maitri - A novel initiative of DRDO to support Safety and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) policy. • Objective - To promote closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects and long-term scientific partnerships & collaborations with the 8 Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries. • MAITRI – Marine and Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative is a scientific component initiated by DRDO under SAGAR Policy • It establishes long-term collaboration with IOR countries in Ocean Research and Development. • INS Sagardhwani - A marine acoustic research ship. **8 IOR countries - Oman, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Sri Lanka & Indonesia. 5. Project Udbhav: **The Indian Army has started an initiative, named Project Udbhav in collaboration with the United Service Institution (USI) of India. • Aim - To rediscover the Indic heritage of statecraft and strategic thoughts derived from ancient Indian texts of statecraft, warcraft, diplomacy and grand strategy. • It focuses on indigenous military systems, historical texts, regional texts and kingdoms, thematic studies, and intricate kautilya Studies from 4th century BCE to the 8th century CE. • The first scholarly outcome of the initiative is the Paramparik Bhartiya Darshan Ranniti aur Netriyta ke Shashwat Niyam.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 18: 1. LUPEX Mission: With Chandrayaan-3 successfully landing on the Moon’s South Pole, ISRO is planning for its next lunar mission LUPEX. • LUPEX - Lunar Polar Exploration will be accomplished in partnership with Japan’s space agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). • The mission is slated to be launched in 2025. • The launch vehicle and rover for this programme are supposed to be contributed by the Japanese agency, while the lander will be contributed by ISRO. • Mission Objectives o To explore lunar polar region’s suitability for establishing a base on the Moon for sustainable activities. o To obtain knowledge regarding the availability of lunar water-ice resources. 2. Spacecraft Passivation: **Spacecraft Passivation is the elimination of all stored energy on a spacecraft or orbital stages to reduce the chance of accidental explosions. *Passivation and post-mission disposal of the rocket body is in adherence to the internationally accepted guidelines prescribed by the United Nations and IADC. 3. Lunar Sample Return Mission (LSRM): **Lunar Sample Return Mission (LSRM) is the proposed mission by ISRO to collect soil or rock samples from the Moon and bring them to Earth. • LSRM aims to bring back rock or soil samples from the Shiv Shakti point where Vikram had landed. • The proposed mission will have 2 separate launch vehicles. • The mission involves 4 modules - Transfer module, Lander module, Ascender module, Re-entry module • The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-II will be used for the injection of the transfer and the re-entry modules whereas Launch Vehicle Mark-III will be used for the direct injection of the Ascender and the Lander module. 4. TROPICS Mission: ** NASA launches 'TROPICS' mission to improve understanding about hurricanes, cyclones. • TROPICS is a constellation of 4 Cubesats in three low earth orbital planes that will measure temperature, humidity and precipitation with spatial resolution on hourly basis. • It will provide microwave measurements over the tropics to observe the thermodynamics of the troposphere. • The objective of the mission is to focus on terrestrial disasters, tropical cyclone analysis, and cyclone modelling and data assimilation and understand tropical cyclones and tropical dynamics. • Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) Satellite - It is a spectrometer that provides hourly updates on atmospheric pollutants over North America. 5. Artemis Accord: India became the 27th signatory to the American-led Artemis Accords. • The US established the Artemis Accords together with 7 other members in 2020 . • The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. • These Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration cooperation among nations. **It currently has 27 signatories including India. • Artemis mirrors a Chinese-Russian plan for an ‘International Lunar Research Station’ (ILRS). • The Artemis plan includes o a base on the lunar surface o multiple spacecraft to ferry humans and cargo o a small orbiting space station called the ‘Lunar Gateway’ o a constellation of satellites to help with navigation and communication • The Artemis Accords was created by the U.S to act as a soft-law alternative to the Moon Agreement, which limits resource extraction in celestial bodies. • A key provision in the Artemis Accords allows for actors to extract and utilise space resources.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 17: 1. FLAMINGO PROJECT: ** FLAMINGO is a project of the Virgo consortium for cosmological supercomputer simulations. o It stands for Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations. * The Virgo Consortium for Cosmological Supercomputer Simulations now includes international grouping of scientists in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, United States and Japan. 2. NON-SUGAR SWEETENERS (NSS): WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified the commonly used non-sugar sweetener (NSS) aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans. For e.g.: Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharines, Neotame, Sorbitol etc. 3. Xenotransplantation: • Procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion of non-human tissues or organs into human recipients. • It includes: o Live cells, tissues, or organs from a non-human animal source o Body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs. • Generally pigs are preferred for xenotransplantation due to large litters and grow quickly. o Also, they are comparatively easy to genetically modify, and are less likely to transmit infections. 4. MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES (MABS): Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are artificial antibodies which mimic the activity of our immune systems. They are produced through a process that involves extracting specific antibodies from human blood and then they cloned. * They are clones of just one antibody, and they bind to one antigen only. They are made by homogeneous hybrid cells (B cells) derived from the same parent cell. ** Polyclonal antibodies (PAbs), on the other hand, are a mixture of antibodies that are secreted by different B cell lineages. * They have been used in the treatment of cancers, Ebola, HIV etc. * Hybridoma technology is used most common method to produce mAbs. 5. ASTRA MISSILE: o Indigenously Developed by DRDO which is Beyond Visual Range Air - to - Air missile o Designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft. o All weather day and night capability o Designed to mount on fighter aircrafts o Range: 80-110 kms for version Mk1 and 160kms for version Mk2. o Altitude: Up to 20 km. o Max Speed: Mach 4.5

Target Prelims 2024: Day 16: 1. NexCAR19 (Actalycabtagene autoleucel): • Designed to target cancer cells that carry the CD19 protein as a part of CAR T. ** CD-19 is a biomarker (or flag) for B lymphocytes (or B-cells) & a Biomarker provides information about a biological process, condition, or response to a treatment. • Targets Leukaemia and B-cell lymphomas (blood cancer). • Uses genetically modified patient's T cells to target cancer while chemotherapy uses drugs. 2. Epigenetic Epidemiology: • Part of epidemiology which is about patterns and factors related to health and disease in populations. **Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change the DNA sequence, but they can change how body reads a DNA sequence. • One common epigenetic modification is DNA methylation. • Involves the addition of a methyl group to the DNA molecule. High levels of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) methylation lead to gene silencing. * This part of epidemiology is a significant part of CCMB's Diverse Epigenetic Epidemiology Partnership (DEEP) project. 3. DEEPFAKES: ** • Refers to a video/image that has been edited using an algorithm to replace a person in the original video/image with someone else, in a way that makes the video look authentic. • Can be an imitation of a face, body, sound, speech, environment, or any other personal information manipulated to create an impersonation. • Uses a form of artificial intelligence called deep learning to make images of fake events, events that haven't happened. 4. India's AI supercomputer AIRAWAT: ** Ranked 75th in the Top 500 Global Supercomputing List & is Installed at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune. • India's largest and fastest AI supercomputing system, with a speed of 13,170 teraflops • Installed under National Program on Artificial Intelligence (NPAI) which is an umbrella programme by the MeitY for leveraging transformative technologies to foster inclusion, innovation, and adoption for social impact in AI. About Supercomputer: • A high-performance computing system that delivers exceptional processing power and computational capacity as compared to general purpose computer. • Performance is measured in floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million instruction per second (MIPS). 5. Composition of the Universe: **Dark Matter: • Unlike normal matter, dark matter does not interact with electromagnetic force. • Researchers have been able to infer the existence of dark matter only from the gravitational effect. • It seems to outweigh visible matter roughly six to one, making up about 27% of the universe. • Astronomer Fritz Zwicky first used the term "dark matter" in the 1930s. Dark Energy: • It makes up approximately 68% of the universe and appears to be associated with the vacuum in space. • It is distributed evenly throughout the universe. Normal Matter: • It makes up 5% of the Universe. • It includes Earth, the sun, other stars, and galaxies.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 15 1. Gaganyaan Mission: • Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft that is intended to send 3 astronauts to space for a minimum of seven days as part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. • It will be for the first time that India will launch its manned mission to space, making the country fourth in line to have sent a human to space. • ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk III, will be used to launch Gaganyaan. GSLV Mk III is designed to carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). 2. Winter Diesel: • India’s armed forces may soon be using winter diesel for operations in high altitude areas such as Ladakh. • Winter diesel is a specialised fuel that was introduced by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) last year specifically for high altitude regions and low-temperature regions such as Ladakh, where ordinary diesel can become unusable. • It contains additives to maintain lower viscosity can be used in temperatures as low as -30°C and that besides a low pour point, it had higher cetane rating — an indicator is the combustion speed of diesel and compression needed for ignition— and lower sulphur content, which would lead to lower deposits in engines and better performance. 3. Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI): • India joined GPAI or Gee-Pay as a founding member to support the responsible and human-centric development and use of AI. • GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth. • India joined the league of leading economies including USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore to launch the GPAI. • GPAI will be supported by a Secretariat, to be hosted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, as well as by two Centers of Expertise- one each in Montreal and Paris. 4. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe): • Government has announced a new organisation, IN-SPACe, part of reforms to increase private participation in the space sector. • IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure. This centre will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment. • IN-SPACe is supposed to be a facilitator, and also a regulator. It will act as an interface between ISRO and private parties, and assess how best to utilise India’s space resources and increase space-based activities. 5. Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI): • The public network will be set up by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread throughout the country. • No license fee will be charged for providing broadband internet services. A customer wanting to access the network from a PDO’s premise can do so only after an eKYC authentication. • These PDOs will either provide internet on their own or will lease from some other Internet Service Provider (ISP). • A central registry will be set-up which will maintain details of all app providers, PDOAs and PDOs. The registry will be handled by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT).

It is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems. The organisation was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO). •Headquarters: New Delhi. **Major Projects: o DRDO's first project for the Indian military was in surface-to-air missiles (SAM) known as Project Indigo. However, it received little success and was therefore discontinued. o In 2016, It successfully tested its first indigenously developed heavy-duty drone, Rustom 2, which is an unmanned armed combat vehicle developed on the lines of the US's Predator drone. o DRDO co-developed INS Arihant, India's first nuclear ballistic missile submarine, which became operational in 2018. o In March 2019, DRDO developed India's first anti-satellite system that made India one of the space superpowers.

Target Prelims 2024: Day 14 1. Cluster Munitions and Thermobaric Bomb: Essentially, cluster munitions are non-precision weapons that are designed to injure or kill human beings indiscriminately over a large area, and to destroy vehicles and infrastructure such as runways, railway or power transmission lines. * According to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, a cluster munition means a “conventional munition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, and includes those explosive submunitions”. Over 100 countries have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but India is not a signatory to this.. *** Thermobaric weapons — also known as aerosol bombs, fuel air explosives, or vaccum bombs — use oxygen from the air for a large, high-temperature blast. A thermobaric weapon causes significantly greater devastation than a conventional bomb of comparable size. • Vacuum bombs are not prohibited by any international law or agreement, but their use against civilian populations in built-up areas, schools or hospitals, could attract action under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. 2. Tapas Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) Beyond Horizon-201 or Tapas BH-201 is a long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, previously used to be referred as Rustom-II. •Formerly known as the Rustom-2, the drone with a maximum speed of 225 kmph. *** It can cover a range of 250+ km using the C Band frequency data link developed by Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) at DRDO. It can also cover 1000+ km via SATCOM using the Kᵤ Band frequency and GAGAN system. * The medium-altitude, long-endurance drone has an impressive flight endurance. 3. Agni Prime: **Agni Prime is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system. •**The nuclear-capable missile has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and this surface-to-surface ballistic missile has a range of 1000 to 2000 km. •The Agni Prime missile, the smallest and lightest among the entire Agni series of ballistic missiles. **In addition, since it is canisterised, it can be launched from rail or road, be stored for longer periods and can be transported as per operational requirements. 4. Varunastra: Indigenously designed and developed heavy-weight torpedo (HWT). •**Varunastra is ship launched, heavy weight, electrically-propelled anti-submarine torpedo capable of targeting quiet submarines, both in deep and shallow waters in an intense countermeasures environment. **It was designed and developed by Vizag-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) under the DRDO and is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL). A torpedo is essentially a guided missile that happens to "fly" underwater. A torpedo therefore has a propulsion system, a guidance system and some sort of explosive device. 5. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):

Highly unexpected!!

Cut offs for CSE 2023