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2019 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Table of Contents
Science & Technology 2019 – JANUARY ........................................................................................................................ 3
Science & Technology 2019 – FEBRUARY ..................................................................................................................... 6
Science & Technology 2019 – MARCH ........................................................................................................................... 8
Science & Technology 2019 – APRIL ........................................................................................................................... 12
Science & Technology 2019 – MAY .............................................................................................................................. 18
Science & Technology 2019 – JUNE ............................................................................................................................. 23
Science & Technology 2019 – JULY .............................................................................................................................. 25
Science & Technology 2019 – AUGUST........................................................................................................................ 29
Science & Technology 2019 – SEPTEMBER ................................................................................................................ 34
Science & Technology 2019 – OCTOBER ..................................................................................................................... 37
Science & Technology 2019 – NOVEMBER.................................................................................................................. 44
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Science & Technology 2019 – JANUARY

Satellite Launches
Name of Satellites Launched by Key Notes
PSLVC44 carrying Kalamsat Indian Space Research Satellite was launched from
V2 and imaging satellite Microsat Organization (ISRO) fromSathishDhawan Space Centre,
R Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh
Delta 4 Heavy rocket carrying a U.S.A It was lifted off from California.This was
spy satellite the second attempt after the launch was
postponed because of a communication
problem between the control center and
the launch site
Epsilon – 4 rocket Japan Aerospace Exploration It was carrying 7 satellites including

Agency (JAXA). world’s first artificial meteor shower
blasted into space from the Uchinoura
space centre
CRS-16 Dragon cargo craft SpaceX It was departed from the International
Space Station and making a remark as the
first night splashdown and
recovered theDragon vehicle
Falcon 9 launched Iridium SpaceX It comprises of 10 voice and

Communications satellite data satellites,which is an alternative
for entire fleet with a new generation
of orbiters from the Vandenberg Air
Force station in California
Other Science and Technology News of National & International

AI tool found to hide data in image to ‘cheat’ on next task
• As per the Research of Stanford and Google, A Machine learning Agent, CycleGAN which works on
Artificial Intelligence tasked with transforming Aerial images into map was hiding information in order
to cheat later.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft Historic Flyby of Ultima Thule

• On 1st January 2019, the American space agency NASA‘s New Horizons spacecraft performed the
farthest flyby in history as it approached the Kuiper Belt object UltimaThule.Ultima is an object in
the Kuiper belt which is a band of frozen material that orbits the Sun more than 2 billion km (1.25bn
miles) further out than the Neptune.
Scientists develop ‘brain pacemaker’ to treat epilepsy Parkinson’s

• Scientists have developed a device named WAND which stands for “Wireless artifact-free
neuromodulation device” that works like a “Pacemaker for the brain” to monitor the brain’s electrical
activity and potentially deliver fine-tuned treatments to patients suffering from diseases like epilepsy
and Parkinson’s.
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Paper Sensor to detect freshness of Milk developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
• On 01st January 2019, scientists at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati have developed a simple
paper kit that can test freshness of milk and tell how well it has been pasteurized. The kit is sided with
smart phone app to ensure that milk is consumed before it turns too sour.
US scientists successfully launched a telescope from Antarctica that analyses X-rays arriving from
distant neutron stars, black holes
• Scientists from Washington University of United states of America (USA) successfully launched
a telescope (X-Calibur instrument) from the McMurdo Station in Antarctica that will analyze X-
rays arriving from distant neutron stars, black holes and other exotic celestial bodies.
China: Lunar rover named ‘Yutu-2’, lands on the far side of the moon
• On January 4, 2019, Lunar rover Yutu-2 or Jade Rabbit-2 of the Chang’e-4 spacecraft made the first-ever
soft landing on the far side of the moon. It follows a homegron Chinese Global Positioning System
named BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.
HD 21749b: NASA probe discovers new planet

• On 7th January 2019, NASA’s transiting exoplanet survey satellite (TESS) has discovered a planet
named HD21749b orbiting around the star HD 21749, which lies about 53 light years from earth in the
faint constellation reticulum. This is the Third Planet discovered by TESS after begins its Operation last
year.
‘Space fuel’, made by crystallizing CO2, to curb greenhouse gases

• On January 9, 2019, IIT-Madras team created ‘space fuel’ by trapping carbon dioxide in crystalline form
with the help of water molecules. This would in future help to curb greenhouse gases.
K2-288Bb new planet discovered using NASA telescope

• On 7th January,2019,Scientists have discovered new planet K2-288Bb,which is twice the size of
Earth.Its discovery was announced at the meeting of the American Astronomical Society held in
Seattle,Washington DC 233rd. It is estimated that liquid water may exist on the planet’s surface.The
new world, known as K2-288Bb,is similar to Neptune.
First manned mission to space by December 2021: ISRO

• On January 11, 2019, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman K Sivan announced that
the 1st Gaganyaan manned mission to outer space would be launched by December 2021.
ROADEO: robot inducted by Chennai Traffic Police for traffic management

• On January 14, 2019, the Chennai Traffic Police introduced a road safety robot named ROADEO, to help
in traffic management and assist citizens. With this, Chennai became the second city after Mumbai to
induct robots in traffic management.
Albumin better indicator of diabetes: study by scientists of NCL, Pune

• On January 14, 2019, scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune suggested that albumin can
be a better indicator of diabetesi. This can be achieved based on measurements of levels of free albumin
and albumin attached to glucose molecules in the blood.
IOHR launched world’s first television channel for human rights in London
• On January 16, 2019, world’s first television channel dedicated to human rights was launched
in London by the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR). It would be a web-based channel
would bring human rights issues to audiences in over 20 countries across Europe, Latin America and
the Middle East.
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Indian Navy inducted two Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) into its fleet at Nagapattinam
• On January 18, 2019, the Indian Navy inducted two Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) at Nagapattinam, Tamil
Nadu, to boost coastal security. The vessels were acquired for SagarPrahari Bal, a unit of the Navy.
First in India:HAL-built light combat helicopter completes air-to-air weapon trials

• On 17th January 2019, Light combat helicopter (LCH),has successfully carried out air-to-air missile firing
on a moving aerial target at the integrated test range in Chandipur on Odisha coast.This LCH is first in
the country,which is designed and developed by Rotary Wing Research & Design Centre
(RWRDC),Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
ISRO to launch two unmanned space missions

• On 18th January 2019, ISRO announced that two unmanned space missions to be launched in the year
2020 and 2021.Country’s first manned space flight Gaganyaan will send three humans into space for
seven days by December 2021,which will carry humanoids not animals.
TRAI releases Tele-density data of India

• On 18th January 2019, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the Tele-density
data of India which stated that the total number of mobile phone subscribers in India was 1,031.28
million during the month November, 2018. The overall Tele-density in India climbed to 91.21% at the
end of Nov-18.
Microsoft launches e-platform under Project ReWeave to help Handloom weavers

• On January 20, 2019, Microsoft India has launched a new e-commerce platform re-weave.in for
handloom weavers under its Project ReWeave.This e-commerce platform will help connect artisans to
buyers directly, enabling them to expand to newer customers and markets.
Maharashtra armed with triple-drug therapy to fight elephantiasis

• On January 21, 2019,Maharashtrain collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO)-
recommended triple-drug therapy for lymphatic filariasis in Nagpur.Actor Swapnil Joshi is assigned as
brand ambassador for this project.
Online inter-state trade through the e-NAM portal started

• On 19th January 2019, the inter-state trade through e-NAM was initiated with the first trade of 8.46
quintal of groundnut between a farmer from GadwalMandi in Telangana and a trader from Kurnool
in Andhra Pradesh.
UK to support nitrogen research in India

• United Kingdom (UK) government has made an announced of a research project to
study Nitrogen pollution in India and South Asia. South Asian Nitrogen Hub will be led by United
Kingdom’s “Centre for Ecology and Hydrology” under the new partnership programme.
Neonatal sepsis on rise in India: AIIMS paper

• On 24th January 2019, Doctors from AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) stated that ‘Neonatal
Sepsis in South Asia: Huge burden and spiralling antimicrobial resistance.The estimates exposed that 16
per thousand live births in India are infected with confirmed neo natal sepsis which is discovered
through blood culture test.
BFW, Universal Robots to co-create robots for MSMEs

• On 25th January 2019, Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd (BFW), Bengaluru-based machining solution provider
has entered into Partnership with Universal Robots, a Danish robot maker and a leader in collaborative
robots, to co-create Robots for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs).
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Government to launch Technology Mission Centre on Solar Energy & Water Treatment in Chennai
• On 25th January 2019 Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment,
Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched three important centres which was set up
byDepartment of Science and Technology (DST) at IIT Madras in Chennai.
India accounts more than half leprosy cases globally

• On 25th January 2019, World Health Organization (WHO) stated more than half of the leprosy cases
were reported globally by India although there is a steady decline worldwide in the number of leprosy
cases which is estimated to be around 2 Lakh.
Science & Technology 2019 – FEBRUARY

Satellites:
Satellite Names Country Key Notes
GSAT-31-40th communication India French Guiana by Arianespace launch
satellite vehicle. It will replace the InSAT
satellite.

ISRO instigated a Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) at the
headquarters of ISRO in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It will act as the hub of ISRO’s future manned mission
"Gaganyaan".
NASA to launch SPHEREx mission to investigate Universe

• NASA is all set to launch, SPHEREx, a space telescope mission, with an aim to understand the origins of
life and the universe, in 2023. The word SPHEREx is the abbreviation of Spectro-Photometer for the
History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer.
India’s first ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ inaugurated by Mahesh Sharma

• Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurated India’s very first ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ at
the Science City in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture at a cost of Rs 20
crore.
AntBot, the first walking robot to navigate without GPS, developed

• AntBot is the first walking robot to have navigational capabilities without GPS or mapping. It has been
designed by French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University
researchers at ISM, on lines similar to desert ants who use polarised lights and UV radiation to navigate
in space.
Chennai got its first Drainage-cleaning robot, Bandicoot

• Bandicoot, a drainage-cleaning robot, has been introduced in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is a semi-
automatic robot can enter manholes for cleaning sewage lines with its robotic arm and is equipped with
5 night-vision cameras to relay the scenario underneath.
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated India’s first hi-tech forensic lab NCFL and CyPAD in
Dwarka, New Delhi
• In order to achieve “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” goal,Cyber Prevention Awareness
and Detection (CyPAD) Centre of Delhi Police and the National Cyber Forensic Lab (NCFL) were
inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and LG Anil Baijal in Dwarka, New Delhi.
PinarayiVijayan inaugurated first humanoid police robot in India, KP-BOT

• Kerala Chief Minister, PinarayiVijayan, inaugurated India’s first Humanoid Police Robot named KP-BOT,
ranked as Sub-Inspector (SI), at the Police Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
China’s Xinhua unveils world’s first female AI news anchor

• Chinese news agency Xinhua unveiled the world’s first female AI news anchor Xin Xiaomeng. She has
been developed by Xinhua in collaboration with SogouInc, a search engine company.She was modelled
after real-life Xinhua news anchor Qu Meng.
India’s LCA Tejas gets clearance for induction into IAF

• Final Operational Clearance(FOC) was granted by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and
Certification (Cemilac), to Tejas– India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) for induction into the Indian Air
Force (IAF). It will be inducted as a weaponised fighter jet.
Lockheed Martin unveiled new F-21 fighter jet to be made in India

• US defencefirm, LockheedMartin,unveiled the F-21 multi-role fighter jet at Asia’s biggest air show Aero
India-2019, which will be manufactured in India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s flagship
programme ‘Make in India’.
SpaceX launched Israel’s first moon lander, “Beresheet”, from Florida

• Israel’s first moon lander, the 585 kg “Beresheet” (“Genesis” in Hebrew), was launched atop a Falcon 9
rocket from the private US-based SpaceX in Florida, United States. At a cost of USD 100 million, it is the
lowest-budget spacecraft to ever undertake such a mission.
Scientists have discovered 300,000 new galaxies using a Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope
• A study conducted by 200 scientists from 18 countries has led to discovery of 300,000 new galaxies
using a Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope in Netherlands.
Scientists discovered exo planet named ‘hot Earth’ that orbits its star in just 11 hours
• A Team of Scientists from Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics had discovered a exo planet
named ‘hot Earth’ that orbit’s its dwarf star in eleven hours by using the data of NASA’s planet-hunting
satellite Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
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Science & Technology 2019 – MARCH

Satellites:
Satellite Name Country Points to be noted
ChinaSat 6C China The‘ChinaSat 6C’ was
launched from Xichang
Satellite Launch Center in
Sichuan province.
PRISMA Italy It is launched by Guiana
(PrecursoreIperspettraledellaMissioneApplicativa) Space Centre by 98 foot (30
meters) tall Vega rocket
which was developed by the
joint venture of Italian Space
Agency and the European
Space Agency.

India’s first indigenous 4G/5G semiconductor chips unveiled by SIGNALCHIP
• Bengaluru based semiconductor company “SIGNALCHIP” unveiled India’s first Indigenous
Semiconductor Chips for 4G/LTE and 5G NR MODEMs at an event in New Delhi which was addressed by
the Secretary, Telecom, MrsAruna Sundararajan. It was launched as part of its SCBM34XX and
SCRF34XX/45XX series, code-named ‘Agumbe’.
Methane Hydrate Discovered in K-G Basin off Andhra Pradesh Coast

• Researchers have discovered “methane hydrates“, a potential fuel of the future just two meters below
the sea-floor in the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) basin off the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the Bay of Bengal.
This is the first report on the discovery of an active methane seepage site.
IRCTC iPay: IRCTC’s own payment aggregator launched

• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) launched its own payment aggregator
system, IRCTC iPay, a step which will help promote government’s Digital India initiative. The back-end
support will be provided by Delhi based MMAD communications, IRCTC’s technology partner.
Rice Knowledge Bank- Assam’ launched under World Bank funded project APART
Rice Knowledge Bank-Assam, which is an agriculture web portal is dedicated to magnify knowledge on
rice production technologies and techniques, best production practices and state agriculture facts, was
launched under World Bank funded project – Agri-business and Rural Transformation (APART).
DotBook: India’s first Braille laptop created by IIT-Delhi Scientists

PulkitSapra, 26, from Delhi and SumanMuralikrishnan, 27, from Chennai, former students and
researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi have created a laptop for visually-impaired
called “DotBook”. Claimed to be the first in India, the laptop has an interface in form of dots or Braille
instead of a visual one.
SpaceX launched 1st unmanned Crew Dragon test capsule to space station
With the aim of assuring NASA about astronauts’ safety in future flights, Crew Dragon capsule was
launched by SpaceX for the first time. The name of the mission is ‘Demo-1’ and it was launched on a
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Falcon 9 rocket from NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA. The capsule did not consist of any
humans on board, only a dummy called ‘Ripley’.
T.N. declared to be the first state to introduce TAVI in government hospital

• VijayaBhaskar, State Health Minister of Tamil Nadu stated that Tamil Nadu has become the first state in
the country to introduce Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) in the government hospitals.
TAVI was launched in November 2018 at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital
(TNGMSSH), Omandurar Estate and two people underwent the surgery free of cost.
First exoplanet Kepler-1658b confirmed by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope

• Ten years after its launch, NASA’s Kepler Mission has discovered and received confirmation for its first
exoplanet Kepler-1658 b. It is recognized as hot jupiter due to very high temperature.
PM-STIAC (Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council) announces nine
missions of national importance
• 9 missions of national importance have been unveiled by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and
Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC). These missions cover important fields such as artificial
intelligence, quantum computing, electric vehicles and deep ocean exploration.The Nine Missions are :
Natural Language Translation Quantum Frontier Artificial Intelligence National Biodiversity Mission
Electric Vehicles BioScience for Human Health Waste to Wealth Deep Ocean Exploration AGNIi.
A study reveals that India’s measles vaccine campaigns have helped save thousands of children
• A study, published in eLife states that the measles vaccine campaigns have helped in saving 41,000-
56,000 children in India which amounts to 39-57 per cent of the expected number of deaths nationally
in the period between 2010 to 2013.The death rate in children of age group of 1-59 months fell by 27%
in the states where the campaign has been implemented as compared to just 11% fall in non-campaign
states.
An app to detect fake currency notes created by IIT-Kharagpur

• An app to detect fake currency has been developed by group of six students from the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kharagpur.The app has been demonstrated at Nationwide
competition Smart India Hackathon 2019.
NPPA reduced the prices of 390 Anti-Cancer Non-Scheduled medicines up to 87%

• National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) which is an independent regulator under the
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has reduced the prices of 390 non-scheduled cancer medicines
which will result in annual saving of around Rs 800 crore for patients.
Tutorial Video on IPR and GI Website launched by Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi
• Suresh Prabhu, The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry launched GI (Geographical Indication)
website and tutorial video on IPR (Intellectual property Rights) in New Delhi. The video has been
created by the CIPAM, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in
collaboration with Qualcomm featuring “IP Nani” is India’s first Intellectual Property (IP) Mascot.
Discovery of new way of powering radio sources in universe by Indian scientists

• For the first time ever, a team of Indian astronomers has discovered some sources in the universe that
emit radio waves in a totally new mechanism, by using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
which is located at Khodad in Junnar, 80 kms away from Pune.
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New population of Ultraviolet Stars discovered in the Globular Cluster NGC 2808 by AstroSat
• A new population of ultraviolet stars has been discovered in the Globular Cluster NGC 2808 by Indian
astronomers from Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai, using the Indian multi-wavelength space
observatory AstroSat. NGC 2808 is a very huge globular cluster and is located 47,000 light years away
from the Earth.
INMAS developed a range of “Combat Casualty Drug” to reduce soldier’s casualties

• With 90% of gravely wounded security personnel succumbing to injuries within a few hours, Institute
of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a laboratory of the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), has come up with a range of cost effective ‘combat casualty drugs‘
that can extend the time till the soldier is shifted to a hospital.
‘Facebook Hubs’ to foster innovation and support start-ups launched by Facebook

• Facebook Hubs, an initiative to foster innovation and offer support to entry-level entrepreneurs was
launched by Facebook. It will provide support to start-ups by conducting mentor hours, trainings,
workshops and discussions across 20 locations.
Scientists at UT developed solar-powered device that creates water from thin air
• Researchers led by Guihua Yu from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, USA have developed a novel
solar-powered harvesting system that absorbs moisture from the air and converts it into clean, usable
water. The technology is described in the journal Advanced Materials and could be used in disaster
situations, water crises or poverty-stricken areas and developing countries.
Astronomers discovers 83 supermassive black holes from early universe

Astronomers have discovered 83 quasars powered by supermassive black holes 13 billion light-years
away from the Earth, from a time when the universe was less than 10% of its present age. The finding,
published in the Astrophysical Journal.
3 astronauts successfully reached ISS on Russian Soyuz spacecraft

• 3 astronauts, Nick Hague and Christina Koch from US and Alexey Ovchinin from Russia arrived at the
International Space Station (ISS) on Russian Soyuz spacecraft which was launched from Kazakhstan’s
Baikonur Cosmodrome on 14th March 2019.
Mercury is closer to Earth than Venus on the basis of average distance

• The US based researchers from NASA, Los Alamos National Laboratory and US army disclosed a new
ideology that mercury is closer to earth than Venus. As per the research on the basis of average
distance, every other planet when compared to mercury is farther from earth including Venus based on
average distance.
Japanese unmanned spacecraft, Hayabusa2 probes Asteroid Ryugu

• Japanese unmanned spacecraft, Hayabusa2 reached AsteriodRyugu on June,2018. Since then,the
spacecraft landed multiple robotic probes on its rocky terrain of the Asteroid Ryugu. The spacecraft had
surveyed 69,000 locations covering almost 90 percent of Asteroid Ryugu by using a near-infrared
spectrometer capable of detecting hydrated minerals.
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope spotted “cannonball” pulsar speeding through space
• NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very
Large Array (VLA) discovered pulsar hurtling through space. This pulsar is named as PSR J0002+6216
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(J0002 for short). It is located 6,500 light years away in the constellation Cassiopeia.It speeds nearly 2.5
million miles per hour.
Blockchain product ‘eMulya’ to launched by Intain Fintech

• An Artificial Intelligence (AI) and block chain based software products firm Intain Fintech will launch
eMulya by the end of 2019. eMulya is an intelligence blockchain which facilitates secure, efficient and
trustworthy asset securitization transactions for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) found a new way to levitate objects with light
• By creating nanoscale patterns on the surfaces of objects, Scientists of California Institute of Technology
(Caltech) have designed a way to levitate and propel objects using only light. It has been named as
"photonic levitation and propulsion" system.
NASA spacecraft found Evidence of water, particle plumes on asteroid Bennu

• NASA’s spacecraft has discovered an evidence of water and plumes erupting from the surface of
asteroid Bennu and will return with a sample in 2023. On December 2018, NASA’s Origins, Spectral
Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission, started
orbiting the Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid.
A new sea level oscillation discovered by INCOIS-French scientists

• A study named “New rhythms in tropical Indian Ocean revealed from the bottom pressure” has been
published in the latest issue of “Nature Communications” stating the discovery of synchronous
oscillation of sea level covering entire Tropical Indian Ocean. The discovery has been done by
researchers from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in partnership with
French scientists.
Microsoft able to translate digital information into DNA

• Microsoft developed a storage device in partnership with the University of Washington that can
translate digital information into DNA. The software used in the system converts the 1’s and 0’s of
digital data into DNA sequence (A’s, T’s, C’s and G’s) and stored it as a liquid.
Oslo to become first city in the world to introduce Wireless Electric Car Charging Stations
• Oslo, the capital city of Norway will become the world’s first city to install wireless, induction-based
charging stations for its fleet of electric taxis with an aim to have a zero-emission cab system by the
year 2023. In this regard, Finland’s utility company ‘Fortum’ will collaborate with U.S. company
Momentum Dynamics and the government of Oslo.
eBay joined hands with google to allow its users to pay via Google Pay
• US-based e-commerce platform eBay has partnered with Google to offer Google Pay as a form of
payment option in its new “managed payments” plan. The collaboration will enhance customer
experience tailored to their personal preferences.
IAF formally inducted four heavy-lift Chinook helicopters

• On the lines of Indo-US deal inked in September 2015 for the purchase of 15 Chinooks by India, the first
four heavy lift CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopters were inducted in the Indian Air Force, at Air Force
Station, Chandigarh, in Squadron No 126 Helicopter Flight. These multi-role helicopters will act as life-
saver during HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) missions.
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Network of Under-Ice Lakes Discovered in Antarctic by the researchers from the Australian Antarctic
Program
• An international team of researchers from the Australian Antarctic Program has discovered a network
of lakes beneath Totten Glacier, the largest glacier in East Antarctica during their 160-day expedition.
NASA’s Hubble Captured birth of giant storm on Neptune

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that its Hubble Space Telescope has
captured the birth of a giant storm on Neptune. Till now Scientists have discovered six dark spots on
Neptune. It's Great Dark Spots are storms that form from areas of high atmospheric pressure.
For the first time in the world, Ooty’s muon detection facility measures potential of thundercloud
• For the first time in the world, researchers at the GRAPES-3 muon telescope facility in Ooty have
measured a thundercloud’s electrical potential, size, and height which was passed overhead on 1st
December 2014. This measure will help to navigate aircraft and to prevent short circuits in aeroplanes.
Anti-intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, was successfully launched by the US Missile
Defence Agency
• The US Missile Defence Agency had successfully tested an anti-intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
system, which was launched with a target from the Marshall Islands shot down by two interceptors
based in California. The US Missile Defence Agency has developed the Ground-based Midcourse Defense
(GMD) system to protect against the threat from ICBMs.
Scientists discovers two planets using Artificial Intelligence

• Astronomers from the University of Texas at Austin, in partnership with Google have discovered two
hidden planets in the data collected by the Kepler space telescope. About newly discovered Planets:
 K2-293b – It orbits a star 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.
 K2-294b – It orbits a star 1,230 light-years away, also located in Aquarius.
Shangai becomes 1st district with 5G coverage

• China’s Shanghai claimed to have the world’s first district with 5G coverage and a broadband gigabit
network. It has conducted trial runs of the 5G network in Shanghai’s Hongkou district. Shangai's 5G
network is backed by state-run telecom carrier China Mobile.
Science & Technology 2019 – APRIL

Satellites:
Satellite Name Country Points to be noted
EMISAT India This was the 71st launch vehicle
mission for Sriharikota It is launched
along with 28 co-passenger
satellites.The foreign satellites
consisted of 24 from the US, two from
Lithuania and one each from Spain
and Switzerland.
Tianlian II-01 China It is first second generational data
relay satellite.
Raavana-1 Sri Lanka It’s first satellite of Srilanka.The
satellite measuring 11.3 centimetres
(cm) into 10 cm into 10 cm, designed
and built at the Kyushu Institute of
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Technology, Japan
NepaliSat-1 Nepal It’s first satellite of Nepal into space

from the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight
Facility on Virginia’s East Shore. It
was launched under the ‘Birds-3
satellite launch to International Space
Station project’.

New exoplanet named TOI-197.0 has been discovered by NASA's TESS
• Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet using NASA’s exoplanet-hunting space telescope, TESS.
The exoplanet is said to be 60 times bigger than our planet and is five-billion-year-old planet. The
exoplanet is dubbed TOI-197.0 or “hot Saturn”. It completes its orbit in 14 days, because the planet is
very close to its host star.
CCMB scientists discovered a new enzyme “MureinEndopeptidiaseK” to break the bacteria cell wall
• The Center for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists have discovered a new enzyme called
"MureinEndopeptidiaseK" while studying the cell growth in bacteria. This new discovery has paved the
way for a new drug treatment that prevents anti-bacterial resistance by existing antibiotics.
Messaging app WhatsApp unveiled ‘Checkpoint Tipline’ to check authenticity of news

• In order to check the authenticity of information during Lok Sabha Election, Messaging app WhatsApp
unveiled a platform named "Checkpoint Tipline", which can review the content in the form of pictures,
video links or text. This tipline is unveiled by an India-based media skilling start-up, Proto.
The magnetic field of the Sun is ten times stronger than previously believed by a recent study
• According to a new study by the Queen’s University Belfast and Aberystwyth University, sun’s corona
extends millions of kilometers above the surface about 1,400,000 kilometers across and 150,000,000
kilometers from Earth. For this research, the researchers use the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope at Roque
de losMuchachos Observatory, La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft drops explosive on asteroid to make crater

• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA has dropped an explosive from its Hayabusa2 spacecraft.
It has successfully blasted the surface of an asteroid for the first time to form a crater. The mission has
paved the way for the collection of underground samples for clues to the origin of the solar system.
South Korea unveils 5G networks early to secure world first

• South Korea has unveiled the world’s first nationwide 5G mobile networks. This has made South Korea
to be the first providers of the super-fast wireless technology. Top 3 telecom providers namely SK
Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus have began their 5G services on 3rd April.
Scientists have discovered a mechanism named “death switch” in the plant’s immune system that may
yield stronger crops
• Scientists from Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Genetics and
Development Biology have discovered a mechanism named "death switch" in the plant's immune
system that can keep the plant healthy. The research has been published in the journal named 'Science'.
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"chain-melted state" which can be solid and liquid at the same time has discovered
• A new state of matter which can be solid and liquid at the same time has been discovered by
scientists of the University of Edinburgh. he study was led by Dr. Andreas Hermann of the university’s
School of Physics and Astronomy and was published in the journal named ‘Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. This distinct state of matter named as the "chain-melted state".
Google unveils new Cloud Platform, Anthos

• Google has launched a new open platform named ‘Anthos’ to run and manage apps from anywhere.It
lets users run applications on the public cloud or on existing on-premise hardware investments. It
helps the users to manage workloads running on third-party clouds like Microsoft Azure and Amazon
AWS.
First Ever Image of a Black Hole captured by the Astronomers

• Astronomers Captured the First Image of a Black Hole which was a halo of dust and gas, tracing the
outline of a colossal black hole at the center of the galaxy M87 (Messier 87) with the help of The Event
Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations. Black holes were first predicted by Einstein’s theory of
relativity.
IIT Madras tied up with GE to set up India’s first ‘Cold Spray’ SMART Lab
• American conglomerate, General Electric in association with IIT Madras, established India’s first “Cold
Spray” SMART (Surface Modification and Additive Research Technologies) Laboratory in the institution.
And thereby IIT-M became the only academic institution with High-Pressure Cold Spray(HPCS) facility
in India. The project is sponsored by "UchchatarAvishkarYojana (UAY) Scheme" of GOI to boost
collaboration between academia and private sector.
SpaceX carries out first commercial launch with Falcon Heavy rocket
• SpaceX carried out its first commercial operational mission by launching its Falcon Heavy rocket to
place a Saudi telecoms satellite into orbit operated by Arabsat. The satellite is designed to provide
television, internet, telephone, and secure communications to customers in the Middle East.
A new technique "dual PWS" developed by the researchers to study the movement of cells
• A new technique named dual-PWS, has been developed by the researchers to study the movement of
cells without using labels or dyes. The study was published in the journal named Nature
Communications and the paper is named as 'Multimodal interference-based imaging of nanoscale
structure and macromolecular motion uncovers UV induced cellular paroxysm'.
World's largest airplane "Roc" has made its first test flight over California
• The world's largest airplane a Stratolaunch's behemoth named "Roc" has made its first test flight in
California, over the Mojave Desert . An engineering company named ‘Scaled Composites’ built this
airplane for Stratolaunch Systems and was financed by Late Paul Allen who was the co-founder of
Microsoft.
Research study published in: 'Microbiome' states that unique oil-eating bacteria found in Mariana
Trench
• In the Mariana Trench (the deepest part of the Earth’s oceans, approximately 11,000 metres) of
Western Pacific Ocean, scientists have discovered a unique oil-eating bacteria that can help in
sustainable ways of cleaning up man-made oil spills. The research has been published in the journal
'Microbiome'.
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Research paper on ‘NASA Twins’ reveals that spaceflight has an effect on the human genome
• A paper on ‘NASA Twins’ has revealed that spaceflight has an effect on the gut microbiome; the effects
however appear to be significant and temporary. The research findings have been published in the
journal named ‘Science’. The twins involved in the study were 2 fifty-year old astronauts (at the time of
the study): Scott Kelly (he flew a 1-year mission aboard the International Space Station which ended in
March 2016) and his twin brother, Mark Kelly who stayed on Earth while his brother was in orbit.
China develops world's first armed amphibious drone boat 'Marine Lizard'
• The world’s first armed amphibious drone boat named "Marine Lizard", which is guided by China’s
BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has been successfully tested by China. The drone ship has been built
by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC). It
could be used in land and sea assault operations.
First Earth-Size planet: HD 21749b discovered by NASA’s TESS Exoplanet Mission

• The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered an Earth-sized planet, HD 21749b and
a “sub-Neptune” world, revolving around the star, HD 21749. The star lies 53 light-years from Earth.
The research study has been published in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’.
Published in Nano Energy: Researchers at UCLA created 3D-device ‘snow-TNG’ that produces electricity
from snowfall
• The researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), US created a 3D-printed device
named “Snow Tribo electric nano generator” that can produce electricity from falling snow. The
research study was published in the journal ‘Nano Energy‘ and UCLA’s Richard Kaner is the senior
author of it.
Scientists Developed a New Novel Sensor to Detect Dangerous Chemicals

• Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US have manufactured a tiny spectrometer
that can be used in smartphone-sized devices to identify dangerous chemicals based on a unique
“fingerprint” of emitted and absorbed light. The study has been published in the Journal Nature
Communications. This single shot spectrometer has an advanced capability called hyperspectral
imaging, i.e, the device can collect every information about each individual pixel in an image to identify
materials.
NASA Chooses SpaceX to Launch First Ever Asteroid-Walloping Mission in 2021

• SpaceX, a private Aerospace company, will provide launch services for NASA's Double Asteroid
Redirection Test (DART) mission, the first-ever mission to redirect an asteroid. DART mission, $69
million contract, will blast off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California in
June 2021.In October 2022, the spacecraft will smash into "Didymoon," the 540-foot-wide (165 meters)
satellite of Didymos,a near-Earth asteroid.
NASA selected Person of Indian Origin (PIO) KeshavRaghvan to lead the team CubeSat
• NASA has chosen a team led by an Indian American student, KeshavRaghvan to have its CubeSat which
is a mini research satellite to be sent to space to detect cosmic rays. The team's CubeSat BLAST
(Bouchet Low-Earth Alpha/Beta Space Telescope) is named after physicist Edward ABouchet who was
the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in America. He led the researchers from the Yale
Undergraduate Aerospace Association (YUAA).
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Third Transiting Planet in the Kepler-47 Circumbinary System named "Kepler-47d" has been
discovered
• A group of researchers, led by astronomers at San Diego State University, by using data from NASA’s
Kepler Space Telescope, detected the new Neptune-to-Saturn size planet orbiting between two
previously known planets Kepler-47b and Kepler-47c. This new planet named as Kepler-47d. The
research was recently published in the Astronomical Journal.
Researchers improve Lithium-ion battery performance to charge them faster, by substituting cobalt
oxide with vanadium disulfide (VS2)
• A new method to build better performing Lithium-ion batteries that can be charged faster has been
discovered by a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, including Dr.
Nikhil Koratkar of Indian-origin. The team substituted lithium cobalt oxide with vanadium disulfide
(VS2) to enhance battery performance. The new research has been published in the journal 'Nature
Communications'.
Helium hydride ion (HeH+) : Universe's first molecule, formed 14 billion years ago, detected in space
• Scientists have discovered the most ancient type of molecule in our universe, Helium Hydride ion
(HeH+) in space, which supports the theories, assumed to have formulated the universe after the Big
Bang Theory. This positive ion is considered the first molecule in the universe formed 380,000 years
after the big bang (Era: Recombination Epoch) and is regarded as the first Molecular Bond. The latest
news was published by Journal Nature.
The researchers of IIT Roorkee identify a new method to detect breast, ovarian cancer
• The Research team led by Kiran Ambatipudi from the Biotechnology Department at the Indian Institute
of Technology, Roorkee has identified a new method to detect breast and ovarian cancer with the help
of saliva. The research published in the journal, ‘FASEB Bioadvances’.
US scientists used HIV to make gene therapy that cured eight infants of "bubble boy" disease
• US researchers have used HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) to develop a gene therapy that cured 8
infants who were treated at St. Jude and at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco of a rare
combined immunodeficiency disease termed as "bubble boy" disorder. The study was published in the
New England Journal of Medicine.
Rating agency ICRA Projects 7-7.5 GW Solar Power Capacity Addition In 2019-20
• Rating agency ICRA (Investment Information & Credit Rating Agency) has estimated 7-7.5 GW solar
power capacity addition in 2019-20, which includes 1 GW of rooftop solar based on tendering and
awards of projects in the last 12-15 months.
NASA revealed that Mercury has a massive solid inner core

• NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has revealed that both Mercury, the
smallest planet in the solar system, and the Earth have metallic cores and like Earth, Mercury’s outer
core is of liquid metal. The findings of Mercury’s solid inner core are published in AGU's (American
Geophysical Union) journal Geophysical Research Letters.
CMR has released guidelines for Candida auris, multi-drug resistant yeast, which causes fatal invasive
infections
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued guidelines for Candida auris, multi-drug resistant
yeast that causes fatal invasive infections. Since 2009, the infection has been reported worldwide.
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Candida auris (C. auris) is an uncommon fungus that can cause serious bloodstream, wound and ear
infections.
Researchers discovered how lifestyle affects genes

• Researchers at the Lund University Diabetes Centre, Sweden, have discovered how lifestyle affects
genes and disease development in a human body in a new study called 'Epigenetic Mechanisms'. The
details of the study were published in journal Cell Metabolism.
World’s first Malaria vaccine launched in Malawi

• The world’s first malaria vaccine RTS,S is also known as Mosquirix has launched in Malawi, one of three
countries in Africa in a landmark pilot programme coordinated by the World Health Organisation
(WHO). The other two African countries are Ghana and Kenya. This vaccine has created by British
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 1987 and after that vaccine has undergone 30 years of
testing which was supported by many organizations including a non-profit organization PATH.
First 'marsquake' detected by NASA lander InSight

• Mars InSight lander of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has recorded first
“marsquake,” quake on the mars due to volcanic eruptions or land tides. The first faint signal was equal
to a 2.5 magnitude earthquake. It has been detected by lander’s Seismic Experiment for Interior
Structure (SEIS) instrument.
Japan creates world's 1st artificial crater on asteroid

• Japanese scientists have successfully created the first-ever artificial crater on an asteroid, which gave
some clue on how the solar system evolved. Hayabusa2 space probe shot a projectile at the Ryugu
asteroid around 340 million kilometers from Earth, as part of the probe's mission to explore the origin
of life and the evolution of the solar system.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope confirm universe is expanding faster than expected
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Hubble Space Telescope ejected
measurements validating that the Universe is expanding about 9% faster than expected based on its
trajectory seen shortly after the big bang. It was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. The
researchers using Hubble as a "point-and-shoot" camera to look at groups of Cepheids using a new
method called DASH (Drift And Shift).
Scientists developed Ultrasensitive Quantum Thermometer

• Researchers at JamiaMilliaIslamia, New Delhi, have developed an ultrasensitive quantum thermometer
by using graphene quantum dots. It can precisely measure a wide range of temperature from 27 degree
C to –196 degree C. The The results of the study were published in the journal Nanoscale Advances.
Two satellites named Tianhui II-01 launched by China

• China launched two Tianhui II-01 satellites from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, also known as Base
25. The purpose of the satellite is to perform scientific experiments, land resource and geographic
survey, and mapping.
IIT Madras team develops easy OCR system for reading documents in Bharati script containing nine
Indian languages
• The research team from IIT Madras headed by Professor V. SrinivasaChakravathy has used a multi-
lingual Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scheme to develop a method for reading documents in
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Bharati script. The Bharati script is a conglomeration of 9 Indian languages, namely, Devnagari, Bengali,
Gurmukhi, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil.
Flipkart-owned PhonePe launched new keyboard for secure and easy transaction
• Flipkart-owned PhonePe, digital payments platform having over 150 million users in India is the first
company to launch a special keyboard that will allow users to do transactions easily and securely while
using their Android phone. The transactions include sending and requesting money, checking account
balance and inviting friends and family to explore the PhonePe platform and use cases on any phone
where a keyboard is required.
Science & Technology 2019 – MAY

ICRISAT-led team collaborated with the BGI-Shenzhen to sequence genetic code to develop chickpeas
resistant to vagaries of weather conditions
• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics' (ICRISAT) team partnered with
the BGI-Shenzhen, China, involving 39 scientists from 21 research institutes worldwide, notified that
scientists have successfully completed the largest-ever exercise of entire-genome re-sequencing
of chickpea to identify genes that are resistant to various extreme factors. The study has been published
in Nature Genetics online.
Giant asteroid ‘99942 Apophis’ will fly past Earth in a decade

• The 340m wide asteroid named 99942 Apophis will fly past Earth like a ‘moving star- like point of light’
on April 13, 2029. It will fly above the earth’s surface at 30,500 km and first become visible with a
naked eye in the night sky over the Southern Hemisphere from the east coast to the west coast of
Australia.
Japan’s first privately developed rocket “Momo-3” reached outer space

• A Japanese aerospace start-up Interstellar Technology Inc. has successfully launched a first privately
developed rocket ‘Momo-3’ into space. The unmanned rocket launched from its test site in Taiki on the
northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The rocket is 10 meters in length, 50 centimeters in diameter
and weighs about 1 ton. ‘Momo-3’ rocket has the capability of putting payloads into the orbit.
Space X launched Falcon-9 rocket for space station resupply mission with Dragon Spacecraft
• Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (Space X) launched its 17th commercial resupply mission to the
International Space Station (ISS) by using Falcon 9 rocket with Dragon Spacecraft. The 213-foot-tall
rocket lifted off at about 2:48 a.m. local time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The
resupply mission contains almost 5,500 pounds of science, supplies and hardware.
Researchers identify drugs that block CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing

• In the journal ‘Cell’ researchers authored that the discovery of the first small-molecule inhibitors of the
Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) protein could enable more precise control over CRISPR-Cas9-
based genome editing. The research was headed by Amit Choudhary of the Broad Institute, Harvard
Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Approval from NOTTO required for organ allocation to foreign nationals

• The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), an apex body that coordinates
with States on the procurement and distribution of organs in compliance with the
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Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), has issued guidelines according to which an
organ could be allocated to foreigners only after it gives its approval.
BSNL launches ‘Bharat fibre’ for high speed broadband Internet service with local channel partner in
Pulwama
• With the launch of ‘Bharat Fibre’, the state-owned telecom firm, BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam
Limited) became the 1st operator to start optical fibre-based high-speed broadband service in
Pulwama. The Bharat Fibre services with reliable and high-speed internet are provided on the
optical fibre by FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) service up to the customer premises.
Stress buster serotonin may help treat neurological decline

• Researchers at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai have identified a new function
for Serotonin, a monoamine neurotransmitter. The serotonin may help treat neurological diseases. The
results of the study were published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(PNAS)”. Its Chemical name is 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT).
Scientists from the University of Cambridge create the World’s Smallest Colour Pixels for large-scale
flexible displays
• Scientists from the University of Cambridge, UK created the World’s Smallest Colour Pixels by trapping
the particles of light under the tiny rocks of gold. These pixels can be used for new types of large-scale
flexible displays and are big enough to cover entire buildings. The research is published in Journal
Science Advances.
U.S. Department of Energy creates a new 100% recyclable plastic named Polydiketoenamine(PDK)
• U.S. Department of Energy‘s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in California created a new 100%
recyclable plastic named Polydiketoenamine (PDK). This can be broken down and used without the loss
of quality. It can be formed into a different shape and colour. The research is published in the journal
Nature Chemistry.
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched MANAV- Human Atlas Initiative, to understand the role of
tissues in human body
• Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched MANAV- Human Atlas Initiative, to understand
the role of tissues and cell in the human body. It is a collaborated project between Indian
Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Persistent Systems and the National
Centre for Cell Science(NCCS). It was launched by the DBT Secretary, Dr. RenuSwarup. The
project is funded by the Department of Biotechnology which has invested Rs. 13 crore.
NASA dubbed its 2024 Mission to Moon as 'Artemis'

• The US Space Agency announced that the National Aeronautics and Space Organization (NASA) is set for
its Mission to Moon "Artemis" which is to be achieved by 2024. Earlier, its goal to achieve this feat was
by 2028. The Mission is named 'Artemis' after the Greek mythological goddess of the Moon and twin
sister to Apollo. The annual budget for this mission is approximately USD 21.5 billion (Nearly Rs.
1,51,000 crores)
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WHO partnered with IFBA to eliminate industrially produced trans fat (iTFA) from food supply
worldwide by 2023
• WHO (World Health organization) collaborated with the International Food and Beverage Alliance
(IFBA) to eliminate industrially produced trans fat (iTFA) from food supply worldwide by 2023. Trans
fat-intake leads to coronary heart disease, due to which 5,00,000 deaths occur every year globally
FDA approved first Dengue vaccine named Dengvaxia

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States has approved first vaccine named Dengvaxia
for the prevention of dengue disease but with certain conditions that use dengue vaccine only in people
who have a previous history of the disease. The vaccine is also known as CYD-TDV and made by
company Sanofi Pasteur.Mexico was the first country to clear it in the year 2015.
“ElectionGuard”, an open source software unveiled by Microsoft for secure voting

• Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella has announced the launch of “ElectionGuard”, a free open-source Software
Development Kit(SDK) to help nations to carry out secure and verifiable voting. Developed by Galois,
“ElectionGuard” is a supplement to paper ballots.
Experimental device generates electricity from the coldness of the universe for the first time
• Scientists from Stanford University, Shanhui Fan along with Masashi Ono have demonstrated for the
first time that it is possible to produce a measurable amount of electricity in an infrared photodiode
from the coldness of the universe. The infrared semiconductor uses the temperature difference
between Space and Earth to produce the electricity. The study was published in a journal named
Applied Physics Letters.
Genetically Engineered Virus Treats Antibiotic-Resistant Infection for the first time
• A team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have used genetically modified viruses to treat
a patient fighting an antibiotic-resistant infection, for the first time. It was published in the journal
Nature Medicine.
A microprocessor named ‘AJIT’ developed by IIT Bombay

• A group of researchers and professor Manav Desai from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
have developed a microprocessor named ‘AJIT’ which was indigenously conceptualised, designed,
developed and manufactured. The chip of the microprocessor was developed at Semi-Conductor
Laboratory in Chandigarh. This was the first time that academia, industry and government worked
together for the development of new technology.
Samsung launched world’s Highest Resolution Image Sensor

• Recently, South Korea based Samsung company has launched the world’s first highest resolution image
sensor of 64 megapixels. This image sensor will be used in upcoming smartphones of Samsung and the
objective is to meet the growing demand for smartphones with better image quality.
 The 64-megapixel ISOCELL Bright GW1
 The 48-megapixel ISOCELL Bright GW2.
Doordarshan launched online Souvenir Store on Amazon India

• Public service broadcaster, Doordarshan has partnered with online retail giant Amazon India to launch
a Souvenir Store. The store will offer a whole range of merchandise which includes T-shirts, coffee mugs
and sippers with the tagline “I am in your DNA, I am your Doordarshan”. The purpose of this initiative is
to establish stronger relationship with viewers of Doordarshan channel.
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'Flye' a new computer programme developed by Australian National University (ANU) can help develop
precision medicine
• Flye' a new computer program developed by Australian National University (ANU) can help develop
precision medicine. It will be helpful to find out a person's genetic makeup. The research is published in
Nature Biotechnology. Flye is a step-by-step procedure for computers to assemble genomes. A long
DNA sequence ranges between 5,000 and 20,000 DNA letters, whereas short sequences are typically
200 letters.
ISRO announced Seven Mega Missions in next 10 years

• Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced to conduct seven Mega Missions
for upcoming 10 years and also prepared a roadmap for the next 30 years. The seven Mega Missions
includes India’s second moon mission Chandrayaan-2, XPoSaT and Aditya L-1 as Defined Missions while
Undefined Missions are: Mangalyaan-2, Venus Mission, Lunar Polar Exploration and Exoworlds. Rs 800
cr, Chandrayaan-2 will be flight ready by the May 2019 end and its spacecraft will be launched in July
2019.
New Standards of measurement of kilogram, Kelvin, mole and ampere came into effect
• On the occasion of World Metrology Day i.e. on 20th May 2019, the world’s scientific and technical
community has adopted the resolution to redefine four of the seven base units. The resolution has been
adopted on the lines of the decision taken at the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM)
at BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) on 16 November 2018, which was passed by
60 countries. The four SI (International System of Units) base units that have been refined are the
kilogram, ampere, kelvin, and mole. The second, metre, and candela are already defined by physical
constants and are subject to correction to their present definitions.
Researchers from UBC developed microscope for surgery without cutting skin
• Group of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) has developed the microscope,
which uses an ultrafast infrared laser beam, that can both scan skin and perform surgery by intensifying
the heat its beam produces.. It was published in the journal “Science Advances” titled "Precise closure of
single blood vessels via multiphoton absorption–based photothermolysis".
NASA Researchers discovered water, 'organic molecules' on mysterious Ultima Thule

• Researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have discovered a mixture of
methanol, water ice and organic molecules found on the surface of the Ultima Thule. The reasearch has
been published in Journal Science. Ultima Thule, also known as 2014 MU69, is a trans-Neptunian object
located in the Kuiper belt. It is 4 billion miles away from Earth.
Nepal banned the use of Chinese digital wallets Alipay and WeChat
• Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal, banned the use of Chinese digital wallets Alipay and
WeChat Pay. This is done to prevent the loss of foreign currency earnings through its usage. The apps
WeChat Pay and Alipay are operated by Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding's Ant Financial
Services Group affiliate respectively. They had failed to secure licenses to operate in the country.
First satellites for Elon Musk’s Starlink internet venture launched by SpaceX
• SpaceX launched the first batch of 60 small satellites into low-Earth orbit for Elon Musk’s new Starlink
internet service. These 60 small satellites launched by Falcon 9 Rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station. Each of the 60 satellites weighs around 227 kg which makes them the heaviest payload carried
by SpaceX till date.
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ISRO flagged off shipment of India’s largest liquid hydrogen storage tank
• Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Chairman K. Sivan flagged off the shipment
of India’s largest liquid hydrogen storage tank at the VRV Asia Pacific’s manufacturing plant at Sri City
in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel for satellite launch vehicles.
NASA discovered 18 hidden ‘Earth-sized Exoplanets’ outside our Solar System

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had discovered 18 Earth-sized Exoplanets
which was outside our solar system. The NASA scientists had discovered these exoplanets with NASA’s
Kepler Space Telescope by using a new technique. The study is published in the journal Astronomy &
Astrophysics.
NASA unveiled schedule for 2024 Moon mission 'Artemis'

• NASA unveiled schedule for 2024 Moon mission 'Artemis'. The Mission is named 'Artemis' after the
Greek mythological goddess of the Moon and twin sister to Apollo. There will be 3 Schedules for the
launch. Artemis 1 is planned for 2020. Artemis 2 will orbit Earth's satellite with a crew around 2022
and Artemis 3 will land the astronauts including the first woman in 2024.
ISRO’s new commercial arm ‘NewSpace India Limited inaugurated in Bengaluru

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has inaugurated its new commercial arm ‘NewSpace India
Limited’ (NSIL) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The objective of the new commercial arm is to scale up
industry participation in Indian space programmes. NSIL was inaugurated by Dr. K Kasturirangan,
ISRO’s advisor, in the presence of ISRO’s chairman Dr. K Sivan. NSIL was incorporated for the purpose
of utilising research and development activities carried out by ISRO in the area of space with an
authorized share capital of Rs 100 crore and initial paid up capital of Rs 10 crore.
Russia launched the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker 'Ural'

• Russia launched the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker 'Ural' at the Baltic Shipyard in St
Petersburg in order to improve its ability to tap the Arctic’s commercial potential. Russia is preparing
for shipping via the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
WHO recognized ‘burn-out’ as medical condition and ‘gaming disorder’ a recognised illness
• Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) in its World Health Assembly held in Geneva, had for
the first time recognised ‘burn out’ as a medical condition in its International Classification of Diseases
(ICD) dubbed as ICD-11, which was extensively used as a benchmark for diagnosis and health insurers.
Facebook’s cryptocurrency “GlobalCoin” will launch in 2020

• Facebook plans to launch its own cryptocurrency “GlobalCoin” in 2020. The cryptocurrency will be
available in around a dozen countries at launch where it’s expected to offer people affordable and
secure payments without the need for a bank account.
Astronomers discovered the Forbidden Planet, NGTS- 4b in the 'Neptunian Desert'

• The international collaboration of astronomers with the University of Warwick, UK, have discovered an
exoplanet, Next-Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) - 4b, the Forbidden Planet, in the Neptunian Desert.
It is smaller than Neptune but 3 times the size of the Earth. The Research was led by Dr. Richard West.
This information was published in the Journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
(MNRAS). c
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Science & Technology 2019 – JUNE

IIT-Madras unveiled Data Platform to Improve efficiency of Government Infrastructure Development
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched a Data Platform of 'Integrated Database
on Infrastructure Projects' (IDIP) to improve the efficiency of Government Infrastructure Development.
The development partner for the project is Akara Research and Technologies. It was launched on May
29, 2019 at the 15th World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR) held at IIT Bombay in a special
session on Public-Private Partnership(PPP) in Indian Transport Sector.
ISS spacewalk successfully carried out for 217th time

• International Space Station (ISS) have successfully carried out 217th spacewalk by two Russian space
agency Roscosmos' cosmonauts for support, maintenance and upgrade. The spacewalk was done by
Expedition 59 Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin.
Army commissioned air quality monitor at Fort William as a part of 'Go Green' initiative
• Army commissioned "Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS)", an air quality
monitor, at Fort William Military Station, Kolkata, as a part of 'Go Green' initiative. It monitors air
pollution on a real-time basis. CAAQMS displays wind speed, direction, ambient temperature, relative
humidity, solar radiation, barometric pressure, and rain gauge.
Indian Navy deployed anti-piracy patrol

• Indian Navy has deployed its P-8 India(P-8I) long-range maritime surveillance aircraft for anti-piracy
sorties from Salalah in Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden and other piracy prone areas. This is an
expansion of its Mission Based Deployments(MBD) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to keep them
safe.Click here to read more.
Google map launched new public transport features in India

• A web mapping service, Google map launched three India-First features targeted at Public transport
users to access public transport easily. Google map users now can see the bus travel times from live
traffic data across 10 cities, get to know the real-time train status on the platform as well as get
commute suggestions that combine public transport and auto-rickshaws.
For the first time, China launched “Long March 11 rocket “, a rocket to space from a ship at sea
• For the first time, China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) successfully launched “Long March 11
rocket", a rocket to space from a ship at sea. It was launched from a platform on a large semi-
submersible barge in the Yellow Sea. China joined the U.S. and Russia as the 3 global powers with
proven ability to launch rockets into space from the sea.
Ebola drug 'remdesivir' to protect against Nipah virus

• An experimental Ebola drug 'remdesivir' is found to cure Nipah virus also according to the new study
published in Science Translational Medicine from National Institutes of Health scientists and colleagues.
The drug was developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc. in collaboration with scientists from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For first time, scientists created groundwater maps meeting ocean

• For the first time, Researchers at Ohio State University have created high-resolution maps of points
around the globe where groundwater meets the oceans. It gives important data points to communities
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and conservationists to help protect drinking water and the seas. The study was published in the
Journal “Geophysical Research Letters”.
ISRO to launch its own space station by 2030: ISRO Chief

• The Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) K Sivan announced that India will have its
own Space station by 2030. A space station is like a habitable artificial satellite that is designed to
remain in space and is capable of being inhabited by crew members for an extended period of time. The
Project is an extension of Gaganyaan mission.
NASA to shut down Spitzer Space Telescope after 16 yrs in 2020

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration‘s (NASA) Spitzer Space Telescope will be shut
down on January 30, 2020, after 16 years of exploring the cosmos in infrared light. This was announced
by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was launched in January 1983 as Infrared Astronomical
Satellite to conduct the first infrared survey of the sky. It was jointly developed by the United States, the
Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Sri Lanka launched its first satellite 'Ravana-1' into orbit

• Sri Lanka successfully launched its first satellite 'Ravana-1' into orbit from the International Space
Station (ISS) along with two other BIRDS 3 satellites from Japan and Nepal. It was deployed to the 400-
km of orbit at an inclination of 51.6 degrees using the JAXA (Japanese Aerospace and Exploration
Agency) owned Kibo experiment module. The satellite was designed and developed by 2 Sri Lankan
engineers - TharinduDayaratne and DulaniChamika.
Scientists develop cancer cell detection ‘dots’ from coal in Assam

• In Assam, a team of Scientists from CSIR-NEIST( Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-North East
Institute of Science and Technology) have developed a chemical process that turns ‘dirty’ coal into
biomedical ‘Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs)’ which helps in detection of cancer cells. The details have
been published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology.
Researchers from Japan developed a new type of cooling vest for sports athletes
• Japanese researchers from Hiroshima University have developed a new type of cooling vest for sports
athletes which helps them to compete safely in sweltering summer conditions. The aim of the vest is to
cool the athletes' upper-body skin which can decrease heart rate and temperature of their neck and
skin. This will help the athletes of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that will be held in the hot and humid
Japanese summer where the ambient temperature is expected to be above 33 degrees Celsius.
‘Bumble’ became the first Astrobee robot to fly under its own power in space
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Astrobee Robot “Bumble” became the first
Astrobee robot to fly under its own power in space. It will help researchers in examining the new
technologies in zero gravity and assist astronauts to perform routine work in the International Space
Station (ISS). Bumble’ and a second Astrobee named 'Honey' were launched to the space station in April
2019. 'Queen', a third robot, will be launched in July 2019.
SpaceX launched hefty rocket with 24 research satellites

• Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) launched hefty rocket with 24 payload military and
scientific research satellites with a deep space atomic clock, solar sail, clean and green rocket fuel, and
even human ashes, including an astronaut. NASA had signed up for the rocket along with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Planetary Society
and Celestis Inc.
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NASA’s Curiosity rover detects high amounts of methane on Mars

• The US (United States) space agency, NASA’s ( National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Curiosity rover has discovered the high amounts of methane gas on Mars that indicates life on the red
planet. The measurement found 21 parts per billion of methane in the air, three times what was found
during 2013.
ESA and NASA test Lunar Evacuation System to save the lives of Astronauts
• American Space Agency, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) astronauts tested a
prototype Evacuation System Assembly (LESA) designed by European Space Agency (ESA).It was tested
as part of NASA's NEEMO 23 (Extreme Environment Mission Operations) mission to assist in astronaut
rescue missions on the surface of Moon.
Herbal drug to treat leucoderma developed by DRDO scientist Hemant Pandey

• Hemant Pandey, a senior scientist from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
developed ‘Lukoskin’, an herbal drug to treat leucoderma (also called 'vitiligo'), a condition in which
white patches develop on the skin. The drug was manufactured and marketed by Delhi-based AIMIL
Pharma Ltd.
Science & Technology 2019 – JULY

NASA's PUNCH mission has selected Indian Scientist Dipankar Banerjee as its co-investigator
• Dipankar Banerjee, a solar physicist from Indian Institute of Astrophysics has been selected by NASA
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) for its PUNCH mission. PUNCH is an acronym for
"Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere", which will image the Sun. he objective of the
mission is to understand the transition of particles from the Sun’s outer corona to the solar wind that
fills interplanetary space.
Astronomers discovered the source of Fast radio burst

• For the first time, an international team of researchers has discovered the source of FRB 180924, a
mysterious powerful pulse of cosmic energy known as Fast Radio Burst (FRB), which lasted for just a
fraction of a second. The discovery has been made by using the Australian Square Kilometer Array
Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia.
NASA to send ‘Dragonfly’ drone mission to Titan for looking origins & signs of life
• America's space agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) has planned to send a
flying multi rover vehicle, ’Dragonfly’ to Saturn's moon Titan to search for signs of life. It will be
launched in 2026 and set to land on Saturn's largest moon in 2034. The outlay of the mission was $850
million. Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and the second largest moon in the solar system after Jupiter's
moon Ganymede.
Indian Railways conducting trials of Tri-Netra technology: PiyushGoyal

• Union Railway Minister PiyushGoyal stated that In order to reduce accidents, Indian Railways is
conducting extensive trials of modern technology TRI-NETRA (Terrain Imaging for Drivers Infrared,
Enhanced, Optical & Radar Assisted) for detecting obstructions on tracks during fog. It will assist Loco
pilots to identify obstructions on tracks by using Infrared Camera, Optical Camera and Radar assisted
imaging system(Tri-Netra).
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NASA successfully tests launch-abort system for moon-mission capsule

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully conducted the test of a launch-
abort system for the Orion capsule designed to take United States (US) astronauts to the Moon. It took
place at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US. It was launched by a mini-rocket, a
repurposed first stage of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
ISRO signed a contract with Russian company Glavkosmos to train Indian astronauts for ‘Gaganyaan’
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a contract with a Russian company, Glavkosmos,
a subsidiary of the state corporation Roscosmos, for selection support, medical examination and space
training of Indian astronauts for ‘Gaganyaan’ mission. Gaganyaan, Rs 9,023-crore project, will be
launched in December 2021 including a woman astronaut.
Arctic mission will trap scientists in ice to study the impact of climate change
• The German icebreaker RV Polarstern, a hulking ship will set out for the Arctic mission. It will trap
scientists for a year in ice in the Arctic Ocean to study the impact of climate change. The mission will be
led by Markus Rex of Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. The outlay of this expedition is $158 million.
New gene linked to schizophrenia discovered by Indian and Australian scientists

• After 18 years of research, Scientists from the University of Queensland in Australia and a team of
Indian researchers led by R Thara, co-founder and director of the Chennai-based Schizophrenia
Research Foundation have discovered a new gene directly linked to schizophrenia. They identified a
gene called NAPRT1 which encodes an enzyme involved in vitamin B3 metabolism.
Pune’s IITM has developed an extended range prediction system

• Pune’s Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) researchers have developed an extended range
prediction system aims at the real-time monitoring and prediction of forthcoming heat waves 2 to 3
weeks in advance. Heatwave day is defined when either the maximum temperature is above 44° C, or
when the region is facing unusually hot temperature/ when the temperature is more than 36 °C /when
departure from the normal temperature is more than 3.5 °C.
A new human atlas initiative named ‘Manav’ launched for holistic understanding of human biology
• Manav, a new human atlas initiative has been launched by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and
Persistent Systems, a biotechnology company towards improving knowledge on human biology. DBT
has invested Rs. 13 crore shared between two institutions in Pune – National Centre for Cell Science
(NCCS) and Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Pune. Besides, Persistent
Systems Limited has co-funded the project contributed Rs 7 crore.
Lucrezia Terzi, a researcher provides a new way of predicting monsoon to help farmers
• A researcher at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCKCEN), Lucrezia Terzi provides a new way of
predicting the monsoon two months in advance, by measuring how much Beryllium-7(Be-7, an isotope
of Beryllium) is present in the air. The study has been published in Nature magazine.
Russia successfully launched its Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with 33 satellites

• The Russian space agency Roscosmos has successfully launched its Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with a
hydrometeorological satellite and 32 small satellites. It was launched from the Vostochny spaceport in
the Far Eastern Amur Region aimed at solving problems of space weather research and monitoring the
movement of civil aircraft.
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First-ever image of quantum entanglement "Bell entanglement" unveiled by the physicists of Glasgow
University
• A team of physicists from the University of Glasgow has taken a photo of a strong form of quantum
entanglement called Bell entanglement. It has captured a visual evidence of an elusive phenomenon
which a baffled Albert Einstein once called “spooky action at a distance”. This information was
published in the paper titled 'Imaging Bell-type nonlocal behavior' in the journal Science Advances.
India’s ambitious moon mission, Chandrayaan-2 called off due to technical glitch
• India’s ambitious moon mission, Chandrayaan-2 has been called off due to a technical snag in just 56
minutes and 24 seconds before its scheduled launch. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
confirmed that the launch had been canceled after a technical snag was detected in one of the launch
systems of the GSLVMkIII-M1 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III). ISRO aims to touch
down on the South Pole of the Moon where no country had gone before.
Russia Successfully Launched Spektr-RG, a powerful X-Ray Observatory, into Space

• The Russian space agency has successfully launched Proton-M rocket carrying the Spektr-RG(Spectrum
Roentgen Gamma) space telescope from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Spektrum-
Röntgen-Gamma mission, also known as Spektr-RG, is a joint project developed by Russian space
agency, Roscosmos, and the German space agency, DLR.
E-Cigarettes Damage Brain Stem Cells: UCR study

• A research team at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) has found that electronic cigarettes (e-
cigarettes-ECs) damage brain cells. The team found that e-cigarettes, often targeted at youth and
pregnant women, produce a stress response in neural stem cells, which are critical cells in the brain.
Chandrayaan-2 launched successfully from SDSC, Sriharikota, AP

• India’s heaviest rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-III, nicknamed 'Bahubali'
carried the Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in
Sriharikota, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh. It is an Rs 978-crore project. The Chandrayaan 2 mission is
set to explore the south polar region of the Moon, which is also known as Dark Side of the Moon due to
the absence of sunlight.Click here to read more.
Scientists Build Ramanujan Machine in honor of the Indian maths genius.

• Researchers from Technion - Israel Institute of Technology have created an algorithm rather than a
machine called Ramanujan Machine to honor the prominent and path-breaking mathematician of the
20th century, SrinivasaRamanujan. The Machine attempts to automatically generate conjectures in the
form of mathematical formulas that we can analyze, and hopefully, prove to be true mathematically.
Union minister launches Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) facility at CCMB in Hyderabad
• The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan in Hyderabad launched NGS facility at the Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), which will be used for genomics study. The Next-Gen
Sequencing facility can sequence up to 30 human genomes(or 384 samples) per day which will help
researchers to individually tag genomes of up to 80000 cells. This process of tagging genomes could be
done in 8 minutes.
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Ministry of home affairs approves BhabhaKavach to be India’s 1st Lightest, Indigenous Bullet Proof
Jacket
• BhabhaKavach called as “India’s lightest bulletproof jacket” was launched at the International Police
Expo 2019 in New Delhi. The bulletproof jacket is developed by the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB)
and metal alloys manufacturer Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) which is headquartered at Hyderabad.
Bangladesh develops an alternative for plastic from jute- "Sonali"

• A team of scientists working for Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) has developed a method to
convert Jute fiber into low-cost Biodegradable cellulose sheets. It is named as "Sonali" - the Bengali
word for "golden" bags. It is biodegradable after three months buried in soil and can also be recycled.
Jute is called as the "golden fiber".
ISRO to launch India's 1st solar mission Aditya-L1 in the first half of 2020
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it will launch its first solar mission
Aditya-L1 in the first half of 2020. It will be the first dedicated scientific mission to study Sun’s corona.
It aims to put Aditya-L1 satellite (800-kg) into a halo orbit around Lagrangian point L1 of Sun and Earth
system. The L1 point is situated at a distance of about 1.5 million km from earth.
“JATAN”, Virtual Museum software for Digitization of Archaeological Museum

• Union Minister of State of Culture and Tourism ,Prahlad Singh Patel stated that digitization of
Archaeological Museum across the country is being done in a phased manner through special software
‘JATAN’, developed by Human Centres Design and Computing Group, Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing( C-DAC), Pune, Maharashtra.
China's Tiangong-2 spacecraft destroyed upon its controlled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere over the
Pacific Ocean
• According to the China Space Agency, China's experimental space lab “Tiangong-2” was destroyed upon
its controlled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. The space state was retired from
service after it had completed its experiments in space. During the re-entry phase, most of Tiangong-2
had burnt up in the atmosphere and its remaining debris fell near Point Nemo, the most remote location
on Earth.
Indian scientists from ARIES discovered 28 new stars in Milky Way

• A team of scientists at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital
district of Uttarakhand has discovered 28 new variable stars in Milky Way galaxy. This is the first time
variable stars have been found in NGC 4147, in the constellation of Coma Berenices. The findings of the
research have been published on arXiv, & it will be published in detail in the August issue of
Astronomical Journal.
IIT Madras develops Agricopter to eliminate manual spraying of pesticides

• A ‘smart agricopter’ has been developed by the team of three students of the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras to eliminate manual spraying of pesticides in agricultural fields & It also
allows spraying pesticides 10 times faster with 100% accuracy than manual spraying. The price of
agricopter estimated to be around Rs. 5.1 lakh.
Pakistan will send its first man to space in 2022

• Pakistan informed that it will send its first astronaut to space in 2022 using China's satellite launching
facilities. The selection process of the astronaut for the space mission will commence from February
2020.
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WHO recommends the use of innovative anti HIV drug Dolutegravir (DTG)
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of anti-Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) drug Dolutegravir (DTG) as the preferred first-line and second-line treatment for all
populations, including pregnant women and those of childbearing potential. It will help more countries
to improve their HIV policies. DTG is more effective, easier to take and has fewer side effects than
alternative drugs. It has a high genetic barrier to developing drug resistance.
Scientists from IIT Hyderabad developed an eco-friendly solar cell using kumkum dye- DSSC
• Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad developed low-cost, environment-
friendly solar cells named Dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) by employing an off-the-shelf dye used to
make kumkum or vermilion. DSSC is based on New Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and
platinum-free counter electrodes. The research was published in the Solar Energy Journal.
Scientists designed novel molecular framework in superbug armour

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Lucknow based Central Drug
Research Institute (CDRI) designed a novel molecular framework to destroy superbugs (a bacteria that
is resistant to drugs and estimated to kill 10 million people worldwide by 2050). Scientists used
Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria found in nostrils upper respiratory tract and on the skin of nearly 30%
people.
Govt plans to prevent vehicle theft with microdot patches

• The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has issued a Draft Notification GSR 521(E)
in order to amend Central Motor Vehicle Rules,1989. The amendment will make it compulsory for
motor vehicles and their parts, components, to be affixed with permanent and nearly invisible
microscopic dots that can be identified with an ultraviolet light source.
Science & Technology 2019 – AUGUST

Two new vaccines introduced to conduct India's first tuberculosis preventive trial
• India's first large scale trial for Two new TB vaccines, was launched by the Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR). The two drugs are IMMUVAC and VPM1002. The TB vaccine trial will
be carried out in 6 States involving more than 12000 healthy household contacts of newly
diagnosed TB patients with 2000 participants from each state. The six states are: Delhi,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Karnataka and will be implemented over the next 7-8
months.
ISRO laid foundation stone for Space Situational Awareness Control Centre at Peenya,
Bengaluru
• Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Dr. K Sivan laid foundation stone for
Space Situational Awareness Control Centre at Peenya, Bengaluru, Karnataka which will host a
range of activities related to the protection of Indian space assets from inactive satellites,
pieces of orbiting objects, near-earth asteroids and adverse space weather conditions.
World's thinnest gold created by British Scientists

• Scientists from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom (UK), claim to have created the world’s
thinnest gold (periodic table representation of gold is Au) which is one million times thinner
than fingernail of human. As it appears to be green in the water, researchers named it gold
“nanoseaweed”. This paperwork was published in the journal Advanced Science. The lead
author of the study is author Sunjie Ye.
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Three new exoplanets discovered by NASA’s TESS in a new planetary system TOI 270.
• The Transmitting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) of NASA has discovered 3 new planets
which are the smallest and nearest known to date. The planets include a small, rocky super-
Earth and 2 Sub-neptunes orbiting a dwarf star just 73 light-years away from our earth. A
paper describing the system was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Scientists from IIT-Kanpur develop a robotic hand to help paralyzed stroke patients
• The scientists at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have developed the world's
first robot hand for the rehabilitation of stroke patients. It is a two-finger robotic hand
(exoskeleton) that uses a four-bar mechanism and has four degrees of freedom (DOF). It uses
brain signals, with the help of the brain-computer interface (BCI). It was developed by
Professor Ashish Dutta and Professor K S Venkatesh.
Researchers from China & US developed a new computer model to predict India's pollution
levels
• The team of researchers from China and the United States developed a new computer model
that can help accurately predict air pollution levels in the region a season in advance. The data
from El Niño and Antarctic Oscillation events can be used to predict air pollution levels in
northern India. The research was published in the journal Science Advances.
Flipkart launched ‘Samarth’ initiative to support weavers, artisans and makers of handicrafts
to its platform
• Anurag Thakur, Minister of State, Finance and Corporate Affairs and Kalyan Krishnamurthy,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Flipkart Group launched ‘Samarth’, an initiative of Flipkart, to
support weavers, artisans, and makers of handicrafts to its platform.
NASA’s TESS satellite discovers first nearby super Earth

• A super-Earth was discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Lisa Kaltenegger
and is considered to be the first potentially habitable world outside our own solar system. The
super-Earth is named as GJ 357 d and it was discovered by NASA’s Translating Exoplanets
Survey Satellite (TESS) according to new modelling research in “Astrophysical Journal Letters”.
IIT Kharagpur researchers develop ‘zero loss’ process HTC for wet MSW management
• A research team from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed a ‘zero
loss’ process called Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC) for the Indian conditions which can
effectively manage mixed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) with high moisture content where
MSW can be converted into biofuel, soil amendment, and absorbents.
Rotavirus Vaccination Extended Across All States And UTs By September 2019
• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, decided to provide Rotavirus
vaccine (RVV) to children across all states and Union Territories (UT) by September 2019
inorder to achieve the goal of ending morbidity and mortality in children due to diarrhoea by
2022. Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in children of less than 2 years
of age. Read full details here: Rotavirus Vaccination Extended Across All States And UTs By
September 2019.
Falcon 9 rocket launched by SpaceX carrying AMOS-17 satellite of Israel

• The US (United States) carrier rocket Falcon 9 carried Israel’s satellite AMOS-17 off the pad in
Florida, America. This is SpaceX’s 25th reflight of an orbit class rocket and also this booster’s
third flight. The communication satellite will be used by the US military and other govt. Leaders
for secure voice, video and data communications. It is a replacement for Amos-5.
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Huawei launches its own Operating System HarmonyOS

• Huawei Technologies launched its own Operating System (OS) named HongMengOS in
Chinese/ HarmonyOS in English. The first version of the OS will be launched later in 2019 in its
smart screen products. It is a part of Huawei's play in the Internet of Things (IoT).
India's first clinical ecotoxicology facility inaugurated at AIIMS, Delhi

• India’s first-of-its-kind clinical ecotoxicology facility was inaugurated at the All India Institute
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. It will investigate the increasing number of diseases
resulting from exposure to environmental toxins contaminating water, food, and air. It will
provide diagnostic and research services to all the clinical departments dealing with diseases
due to ecotoxicity.
Astronomers discover massive black hole with mass of 40 billion suns.

• Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany discovered a
Super Massive Black Hole (SMBH) with a mass of 40 billion suns (40 billion solar masses). The
findings of this SMBH is published in the Astrophysical Journal.
For the first time, IIT Madras records initial success by fabricating a rechargeable iron ion
battery
• For the first time, a team of Researchers led by RamaprabhuSundara at Indian Institute of
Technology(IIT) Madras has fabricated a rechargeable iron ion battery designed using mild
steel as the anode. The rechargeable iron ion battery is cost-effective and it will store a high
amount of energy in the battery & also displayed good stability with 54% capacity retention at
the end of 50 cycles.
IIT Hyderabad, NIT Jalandhar Researchers develop Bone Implant Materials From waste
Eggshells
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of
Technology (NIT) Jalandhar (Punjab) researchers have developed a process by which bone
implant materials can be synthesized from eggshells which are dumped as waste. The research
work done by the team was published in the March 2019 issue of the journal Ceramics
International.
IITM develops Multimodal Robotic System called “GraspMan” with a human-like grasp
• A team of researchers led by AsokanThondiyath at Indian Institute of Technology Madras
(IITM) have developed a new class of Robotic System called “GraspMan’, which has a human
hand like grasping, manipulation and locomotion abilities. The research has been published in
Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics.
FDA of US approves PRETOMANID new drug for drug resistant TB

• The United States(US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval to a new drug
named Pretomanid, for treating extensively drug-resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) which is
estimated to have a mortality rate of 60%. Pretomanid was developed by New York based non
profitorganisation TB alliance. It is used as a combination of drugs along with bedaquiline and
linezolid collectively called as BPaL regimen.
China successfully launched a new rocket for commercial use named Smart Dragon-1
• A new rocket for commercial use named Smart Dragon-1 (SD-1) with 3 satellites, developed by
the China Rocket Company affiliated to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
(CALVT) was launched successfully from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest
China. 3 satellites were developed by 3 separate Beijing-based companies. They will be used
for remote sensing services, communication and Internet of Things (IoT).
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India Gets Its First NEDL Finalized By ICMR

• India has got its first National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) finalized by the Indian Council
of Medical Research (ICMR). The objective of the list is to bridge the current regulatory
system’s gap that does not cover all the medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic device (IVD).
With this, India became the first country to compile such a list. Read full details here: India
Gets Its First NEDL Finalized By ICMR
Scientists discovered a new pain-sensing organ in the skin

• Researchers at KarolinskaInstitutet in Sweden have discovered a new mesh-like organ in the
skin that senses pain and able to detect painful mechanical damage such as pricks and
pressure. The study has been published in the journal, ‘Science’. The new two-cell receptor
sensory organ is made up of glial 'Schwann' cells with multiple long protrusions present below
the outer layer of skin (the epidermis).
Astronomers discovered a 2nd planet called 'B Pictoris c ' for Beta Pictoris star
• Astronomers at the Institute for Planetary sciences and Astrophysics, Grenoble, France (IPAG)
have discovered a 2nd planet called 'B Pictoris c'. It is roughly around 3,000 times more
massive than Earth. It orbits Beta Pictoris star, which is about nearly twice the mass of Sun and
lies about 63 light years away from Earth. The discovery was published in the journal Nature
Astronomy.
Membranes that can separate oil and water developed by IIT Guwahati researchers
• The researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Assam invented two
distinct and special membranes that can separate oil and water, even under harsh conditions.
This development is expected to be used in applications of oil spill management. The work is
published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering journal.
Karnataka Government categorised Nicotine as “class A poison”

• The Government of Karnataka amended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules
2015 and notified Nicotine as “Class A poison” in order to strengthen the enforcement of the
ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes. The new rules are called the Karnataka
Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules, 2019.
NASA's MMS Mission took 1st high-resolution measurements of an interplanetary shock

• America's space agency, NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) has obtained 1st high-resolution measurements of
an interplanetary shock event. These shocks are launched from the Sun which continually
releases streams of charged particles called the solar wind, which has 2 types, slow and fast.
When a fast stream of solar wind overtakes a slower stream, it creates a shock wave. The
findings have been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
US startup Cerebras Systems unveils World's largest processor with 1.2 trillion transistors
called Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine
• New artificial intelligence (AI) company Cerebras Systems based in United States(US) has
unveiled the world's largest single silicon-based processor, the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine
(WSE) with 1.2 trillion transistors, the basic on-off electronic switches that are the building
blocks of silicon chips.
NASA confirms Europa Clipper Mission

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States (US) space agency, has
confirmed the next phase of development of the Europa Clipper Mission, an interplanetary
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mission to Jupiter’s smallest moon Europa, with the target to launch by 2023. It will be
conducting an in-depth exploration of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Russia successfully sent its First Humanoid Robot into space 'Fedor'
• Russia launched its first unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot named 'Fedor'
(Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) in Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft from Russia's
Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts on the
International Space Station (ISS).
Amid increasing tensions with US, Iran unveils its new home-grown missile defence system, “
Bavar-373”
• The Iranian Defense Ministry has unveiled its new home-grown air defence system called
“Bavar-373” at a time of increasing tensions between Iran & United States(US) since US
President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal -2015 and
reimposed sanctions on Iran. It is a mobile surface-to-air missile system which means "believe"
in Farsi.
Ocean Power Classified As Renewable Energy By The Govt

• The proposal to declare ocean energy as renewable energy was approved by R K Singh,Power
and New & Renewable Energy Minister. According to the proposal, all forms of ocean energy,
such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion, will now be considered as renewable
energy and also be eligible for meeting non-solar renewable purchase obligations (RPO). Read
full details here: Ocean Power Classified As Renewable Energy By The Govt
Prakash Javadekar inaugurates National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology in Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu
• The Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Information and Broadcasting Minister
Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology at Salim Ali Centre for
Ornithology and Natural Sciences ((SACON) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The ministry also funded an
amount of Rs 4 crore to the centre for modernization & to handle the challenges posed by the continued
entry of newer chemicals into the environment.
NASA named a rock on Mars in honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) named a rock on Mars in honour of the iconic
English band, The Rolling Stones. The team behind NASA's InSight lander has named a Martian rock
after the band: 'Rolling Stones Rock.' The InSight mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL).
North Korea tests new 'super-large' multiple rocket launcher

• A newly developed “super-large multiple rocket launcher” as part of North Korea’s expanding weapons
arsenal (collection of weapons and military equipment) was test-fired and was supervised by North
Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. This latest North Korean launch was made two days after South
Korea announced the possible termination of its intelligence-sharing deal with Japan amid trade
disputes between the US (United States) allies.
Satellite surveillance of ships planned between India and France

• India and France have formalized the development and launch of a unique constellation of around 10
low-earth orbit satellites. It will continuously provide maritime surveillance and security. The satellite-
based Automatic Identification System (AIS) will detect, identify and track a range of vessels moving in
the Indian Ocean region and guard against aggression, terrorism, piracy, smuggling, source of oil slicks
and also be useful for rescues.
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Intel launched its first artificial intelligence chip ‘Spring Hill'

• Intel Corp launched its latest processor named ‘Spring Hill' or Nervana NNP (neural network
processor) -I 1000, at the HotChips 2019 symposium for high-performance chips at Stanford
University in California, United States. It is Intel’s first artificial intelligence (AI) chip.
IIT-Guwahati Researchers developed lab grown meat

• Researchers from the IIT-Guwahati (Assam), have developed a fully grown meat in their
Biomaterial and Tissue Engineering laboratory. Claimed to be natural, the meat is formulated
and is applied for patent rights for production. Also, it has improvised nutritional values as per
customer needs.
MIT scientists developed biggest-ever carbon nanotube computer chip- RV16XNano

• Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, have developed
the biggest-ever computer chip using carbon nanotubes (CNT)- RV16XNano. This was
published in the journal Nature. RV16X-Nano is a 16-bit processor that contains 14,000
transistors — electronic switches. These switches are made up of CNT — tiny cylinders made
of rolled-up, atom-thick sheets of graphene.
Science & Technology 2019 – SEPTEMBER

‘Samudrayaan’- Deep ocean mining project to be undertaken by India
• India’s deep-sea project “Samudrayaan” undertaken by National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai
(NIOT) is proposed to be launched in 2021-22. The proposed project announced by NIOT Director MA
Atmanand, is a part of Ministry of Earth Sciences' pilot project, and plans to send three persons to depth
in a submersible vehicle of 6000mtrs for underwater studies related to deep-sea mining of rare
minerals.
Iranian army introduces a new homegrown jet-propelled drone called "Kian"

• Iranian Army has unveiled a high-precision jet-propelled drone called “Kian”, which has the
capacity of carrying long-time surveillance missions and attack the targets far from the
country's borders. The new drone comes at a time increasing tensions between Iran and the
United States(US) since US President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew the US from the Iran
nuclear deal -2015 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
ISRO lost the signal from chandrayaan 2’s lander Vikram

• The communication from Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander of 1471 kg to Indian Space Research
Organisation’s (ISRO) ground station was lost before its soft landing on the unexplored lunar south pole
of the Moon. The contact was lost when the lander was 2.1km away from the surface of the moon. Rs
978-crore project consisted of 3 components namely the Orbiter, the Lander ‘Vikram’, and the Rover
Pragyan (27kg).
IAF Chief B S Dhanoa restored Ambala-based 17th Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ to operate first unit of
Rafale aircraft
• Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa restored Air Force
Station (AFS) Ambala-based 17th Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ which will be committed to
operate India-Pakistan frontier. It will be the first unit to operate the newly-acquired Rafale
aircraft. He also presented a memento to Station Commander Group Captain Harkirat Singh to
commemorate the occasion.
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China launches 3 satellites, will help areas including disaster management and climate monitoring
• China has successfully launched three satellites (a resource satellite- ZY-1 02D and two small
satellites). These satellites have been launched in a predetermined orbit that will help in
disaster management, urban construction and monitoring of polar regions and global climate
change.
K2-18b: Water discovered for the first time in atmosphere of habitable exoplanet
• Astronomers have found water for the first time in atmosphere of habitable exoplanet- K2-18b which
orbits in its star's "habitable zone". The article was published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy
and the lead scientist of the research is Prof Giovanna Tinetti of University College London (UCL),
United Kingdom.
BHEL commissions 1,320 MW thermal plant in Jharsuguda, Odisha

• Govt. of India owned state run engineering firm Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) announced
commissioning of 1320 MegaWatt(MW) power project in Ib Thermal Power Station(ITPS) in Odisha’s
Jharsuguda district. This generated power will be supplied to Grid Corporation of Odisha(GRIDCO).
First-ever arrested landing of LCA Tejas successfully executed by DRDO, ADA

• The first-ever arrested landing of the Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) Tejas was successfully
executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) and Aeronautical
Development agency(ADO) of DRDO at INS Hansa, Goa at a shore based facility centre. This
achievement would pave way to take up aircraft carrier landing demonstration on Indian Naval
Aircraft Carrier, INS (Indian Naval Ship) Vikramaditya.
Astronomers using NSF’s Green Bank Telescope discovered the most massive neutron star ever- MSP
J0740+6620
• Astronomers at West Virginia University (U.S) using Green Bank Telescope (GBT) of the
National Science Foundation (NSF) in Pocahontas County, United States (US) have discovered
the most massive neutron star ever called MSP J0740+6620. It is one of the densest objects in
the known universe. The research was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched online ‘national laboratory directory’
• Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan
launched an online ‘National Laboratoy Directory’ ,a one-stop-shop that provides information
about testing infrastructure of industries, academia, researchers and various products of
Indian standards for stakeholder benefits, especially start- ups. ‘Manak-Online’ – Public web
interface and app have also been developed for to check authenticity of a BIS Licence /
Registration of a product.
President Ram NathKovind launched First Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell System by CSIR
under NMITLI in Delhi
• President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind, launched first Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell
System developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under flagship
programme named “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)”. This
system was launched in partnership with Indian industries on the 78th foundation day of CSIR
in New Delhi. A book titled “Bhatnagar Laureates 1958-2018” was also released during the
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function. Read full details here: President Ram NathKovind Launched First Indigenous
High Temperature Fuel Cell System By CSIR Under NMITLI In Delhi
Second interstellar object 2I/Borisov discovered in the solar system

• According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a second interstellar object named 2I/Borisov
has been discovered in the solar system. It was discovered by amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov
from MARGO observatory, Crimea on August 30, 2019, which looked like a comet from a 0.65-metre
telescope built on his own. The first interstellar object was 1I/Oumuamua.
Astronomers detect a Jupiter-like planet named "GJ 3512 b"

• Astronomers unexpectedly discovered a gas giant Jupiter-like planet named "GJ 3512 b" which is
orbiting a dwarf star, located about 30 light-years from the sun. The discovery was published in the
journal Science and the lead author of the study is Juan Carlos Morales from the Institute of Space
Studies of Catalonia, Spain.
A new mineral ‘Goldschmidtite’ discovered inside a diamond

• Nicole Meyer, a graduate student at the University of Alberta’s Diamond Exploration Research and
Training School, Canada and the lead author of the research, discovered a new mineral
named ‘Goldschmidtite’ inside a diamond from a mine- Koffiefontein pipe in South Africa run by De
Beers. It is named goldschmidtite in honor of Victor Moritz Goldschmidt, the founder of modern
geochemistry.
ISRO initiated ‘Project NETRA’- A space situational awareness step to detect debris and other hazards to
Indian satellites
• The Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has initiated ‘Project NETRA’ in the middle of
its Chandrayaan campaign last month, in-order to detect debris in space and other hazards in
Indian satellites which would act as a step for Space Situational Awareness(SSA). The project is
estimated to be worth of Rs. 400 Crore. NETRA is a network of observational tools like
telescopes and radars, which will be connected to a data processing units and a control centre,
which have the ability to track objects/debris as small as 10cm upto a range of 3400km and
also equal to space orbit of 2000k m. Read full details here: ISRO Initiated ‘Project NETRA’- A
Space Situational Awareness Step To Detect Debris And Other Hazards To Indian
Satellites
Scientists discover 8th continent, “Greater Adria” hidden under Europe

• Geologists under the principal researcher Douwe van Hinsbergen, Professor at Utrecht
University, Netherlands, have discovered a new continent named “Greater Adria” in the
mediterranean region under Europe, after successful analysation of mountain ranges from
Spain to Iran in detail for 10 years. The discovery of this continent is published in the journal
‘Gondwana Research’. Read full details here: Scientists discover 8th continent, “Greater
Adria” hidden under Europe
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Science & Technology 2019 – OCTOBER

Apps & Web portal
App & Web Name Launched by Purpose
Applications for Remedies in Directorate General of *-For filing anti-dumping applications by

Trade for Indian Industry and Trade Remedies the domestic industry for speedy
other Stakeholders (ARTIS) (DGTR) resolution of dumping issues.
*-It has invited the applications to file the
process to be followed by Domestic
Industry for anti-dumping investigations
under Section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act,
1975 as amended and the Customs Tariff
(Identification, Assessment and Collection
of Anti-Dumping Duty onDumped Articles
and for Determination of Injury) Rules,
1995.
Audio Odigo app Tourism Ministry *- For 12 sites of India inclusive of iconic
sites in New Delhi for benefiting tourists.
*- A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
for Delhi’s GolGumbad(15th century
domed tomb from the Lodi dynasty period)
with Government of Delhi and Resbird
Technologies were signed in developing
thetourism amenities in presence of
Director General(DG) of Archaeological
Survey of India(ASI) Smt. Usha Sharma.
Read full details here:
Consumer App Consumer Affairs *-In order to redress public grievances and
Minister, Shri Ram provide valuable solutions on consumer-
Vilas Paswan related issues.
*-The app, which strengthens ‘digital India’
objectives, provides a one-stop solution to
the consumer grievances via mobile
devices.
*-The grievances will be resolved in a time-
bound manner within 20 days. It takes
2months/60days to resolve a grievance in
case of eliciting feedback from companies
or further enquiries.
EDantseva Website And Mobile Health Ministry *-Aim to provide oral health information
Application collected from authentic scientific
resources.
*-He also released the Braille booklet and
Voice over on Oral Health Education for
the visually impaired individuals to access
information, along with the oral health
posters for pregnant women and children.
PRAKASH portal Union Ministers RK *-This portal was launched in bringing
Singh and Shri Pralhad transparency as well as better
Joshi jointly launched coordination in coal supplies to power
plants. The link for the portal
ishttps://mapp.ntpc.co.in/prakash.
IPRs “L2Pro India” GuruprasadMohapatra, *- Mr GuruprasadMohapatra, Secretary of
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Secretary of DPIIT the Department for Promotion of Industry

and Internal Trade (DPIIT) which works
under the Ministry of Commerce &
Industry, launched the websiteand mobile
application for Intellectual Property Rights
(IPRs) named L2Pro India (Learn to
Protect, Secure and Maximize Your
Innovation) in New Delhi. They were
developed by Cell for IPR Promotion and
Management (CIPAM)- DPIIT along with
Qualcomm and National Law
University(NLU), Delhi.
mHariyali App MoHUA *- New mobile app named “mHariyali” and

Minister of State website "Environment Protection in
(Independent Charge) Government Colonies" in New Delhi, which
for Housing & Urban encourages people to plant trees and for
Affairs Mr. Hardeep Green drives.
Singh Puri *-Both app & website are developed by
National Informatics Centre (NIC)-Ministry
of Housing and Urban Affair (MoHUA).
Sahyatri mobile app, Union Minister of State *- Railways launched Sahyatri mobile app
Website: (MoS) in the Ministry and a new website for online complaint
www.railways.delhipolice.gov.in of Home Affairs (MHA) registration
Mr Nityanand Rai *- Through which the passengers can
register their complaints online. It was
launched by at the NDMC (New Delhi
Municipal Council) Convention Centre on
Sansad Marg,New Delhi.
"India Post Mobile Banking" app Indian post *-For mobile banking facility the
Department of Post has launched a mobile
banking application namely "India Post
Mobile Banking" for its savings account
holders to facilitate easier transactions.
*-The facility has started from 15 October
2019 & will be available to all customers of
core banking solutions (CBS) enabled post
offices.
TechSagar National Cyber Security *- Lt. Gen (Dr) Rajesh Pant, National Cyber
Coordinator's office in Security Coordinator of India launched an
partnership with Data online portal of India’s technological
Security Council of capability named ‘TechSagar’.
India (DSCI). *-It was launched by the National Cyber
Security Coordinator's office in
partnership with Data Security Council of
India (DSCI).
*-It can be accessed at: www.techsagar.in
This repository will help to facilitate new
opportunities for businesses and academia
to collaborate, connect and innovate, in
future.
Rail Dhandora app Southern Railway *-For hassle-free working and transactions
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inChennai Southern Railway launched a

new application called Rail Dhandora for
the railway personnel and customers for
the hassle-free working and transactions
with the Railways. It was launched by John
Thomas, General Manager, Southern
Railway (SR) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is
developed by the Information Technology
(IT) Cell of Passenger Marketing Wing of
Southern Railway.
Satellite Launches
Satellite Name Country Purpose
Gaofen-10 satellite China *-China has sent the new Gaofen-10 satellite into space with a
March-4C rocket developed by the Shanghai Academy of
Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science
and Technology Corporation from the Taiyuan Satellite
Launch Center in North China's Shanxi Province.
*-The satellite has successfully entered the planned orbit &
will start receiving pictures and other data with a resolution
of less than a metre.
ICON space weather NASA *-To study earth's ionosphere National Aeronautics and Space
satellite Administration (NASA) launched Ionospheric Connection
Explorer (ICON) space weather satellite from Northrop
Grumman’s L-1011 Stargazer aircraft, with the company’s
Pegasus XL rocket attached beneath, from the Skid Strip
runway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United
States. Ionospheric is the layer of the earth'satmosphere that
contains a high concentration of ions and free electrons and is
able to reflect radio waves. It will study the dynamic zone in
an atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets
space weather from above for 2 years.
Other Science News

NATIONAL
Chandigarh University students develop India's most secure and portable OS elementary puzzles
A group of 3 computer science engineering students of Chandigarh University comprising ofAdarsh Chauhan,
Anmol Puri and PusprajJaswal developed India's most secure and portableOperating System (OS) elementary
puzzles by working on the Kernel of the OS. It is Linux-basedGUI (Graphical Operating System) which offers
compatibility and data security to its users.
Indian scientists discovered plastic-eating bacteria namely 'Exiguobacteriumsibiricum strain

DR11' & 'Exiguobacteriumundae strain DR14' in Greater Noida wetlands, UPA team of researchers at Shiv
Nadar University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP) havediscovered two 'plastic-eating' bacterial strains
namely Exiguobacteriumsibiricum strain DR11and Exiguobacteriumundae strain DR14 from the wetlands of
Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Thestrains have the great potential to decompose polystyrene. The study has
been published in thejournal Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Advances.
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KUFOS scientists discover first species of eel-loach in the world named ‘Pangiobhujia’
The scientists of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) have discovered the1st & unique
eel-loach species of miniature well-dwelling subterranean fish named ‘Pangiobhujia’in Cherinja village,
Kozhikode district of Kerala. The eel lives in deep subterranean aquifers isabout 3 centimeters in length,
pinkish-red in colour& belongs to the genus Pangio. Generally, eel-loaches are found in fast-flowing streams in
the south and south-east Asia. The study has beenpublished in Zootaxa journal.
IIT Madras signs a 5-year joint-research agreement with ExxonMobil for research in Energy and
Biofuels
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Madras has signed a 5-year joint-research agreement withExxonMobil
Research and Engineering Company (EMRE), the research and engineering arm ofExxonMobil Corporation for
research in biofuels, data analytics, gas conversion and transport, andfinding low-emission solutions. This
agreement is in line with the central Government’s new‘biofuel policy’, which targets to convert the country’s
biofuel industry into a $15.6 billioneconomy. Read full details here:
Scientists excavates dried-up river in Prayagraj ,Uttar Pradesh

A team of scientists from the CSIR-NGRI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-NationalGeophysical
Research Institute) and the Central Groundwater Board, Ministry of Jal Shakti, havefound an undiscovered, old,
dried-up river in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh thatlinked the Ganga and Yamuna rivers ,
during the geophysical survey in the Kaushambi andPrayagraj region in December 2018.
Two diagnostic kits for encephalitis, bluetongue virus, developed by ICAR- IVRI under the Make in India
released
Two diagnostic kits for Encephalitis, Bluetongue Virus called ‘Bluetongue sandwich ELISA(sELISA)’ for
detection of antigen and the ‘Japanese Encephalitis 1gM ELISA’ for the control ofSwine, developed by Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Indian Veterinary ResearchInstitute (IVRI) under the Make in India’
initiative were released at KrishiBhawan, New Delhiwith the aim to prevent the spread of virus in animals and
thus predict their outbreak in humans.Each kit is meant for testing around 45 samples.
Indian army inducts indigenous dhanush howitzer cannons and US based precision guided
Excalibur artillery ammunition
Indian army has added indigenous 'Made in India' Dhanush Howitzer cannons and the US (UnitedStates)-based
Precision Guided Excalibur artillery ammunition, which will increase its combatcapability. Excalibur Artillery
Ammunition, purchased from the US under the fast track process, isa modern ammunition used in cannon that
is capable of accurately targeting enemy targets. Excalibur Artillery Ammunition, purchased from the US under
the fast track process, is a modernammunition used in cannon that is capable of accurately targeting enemy
targets.
India, US sign SoI to develop a range of warfighting technologies and systems during DTTI 2019 in New
Delhi
India and the United States (US) signed a joint Statement of Intent (SoI) to co-develop a range of cutting-edge
warfighting technologies and systems for their militaries like virtual augmented reality (VAR), air-launched
unmanned airborne systems (UAS), networked operations, brand new weapon and light-weight ammo
(ammunition) designs. It was signed during the 9th meeting of the India US Defence Technology and Trade
Initiative (DTTI) 2019 held in New Delhi. Read full details here:
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New argentine fish named "Glossanodonmacrocephalus" discovered in Kerala waters

Researcher team from Zoological Survey of India(ZSI), led byBineesh K.K., discovered a new deep-sea fish
Glossanodonmacrocephalus (common name Kerala argentine) in the Arabian Sea, off the southwestern coast of
India, Kerala. The fish which belongs to family Argentinidae of the genus Glossanodon is whitish with the
silvery body. The discovery of this fish species is published in the journal ‘zootaxa’.
Scientists discover new stable form of plutonium

Using the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, an international team of
scientists, led by the Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), have discovered a new compound of
plutonium which is solid and stable, and maybe a transient phase in radioactive waste repositories. This is
published in the journal AngewandteChemie as a Very Important Paper (VIP). This new phase is named as
Pu(V). The chemical name of Plutonium is Pu.
ASI discovers 2,000-year-old historic trade center in Andhra Pradesh (AP)

A 2000-year old historic trade settlement & a Pallava-period statue of Lord Vishnu has been unearthed during
excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) near the banks of Swarnamukhi river in the
village of Gottiprolu in Andhra Pradesh (AP). Archaeological excavation near Nellore, about 80 kilometers east
of Tirupati, has uncovered a huge brick-lined enclosure. A statue along with some antiquities & pottery has
been unearthed at the site.
Researchers from IIIT Hyderabad created first ever Indian Brain atlas
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad(IIIT-H), Telanganahave created
the first-ever ‘Indian brain atlas’(IBA). As per their research, the average Indianbrain is smaller when compared
with western and eastern countries like China, Korea etc. TheIndian brain atlas was constructed in
collaboration with the Department of Imaging Sciences andInterventional Radiology, SreeChitraTirunal
Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology(SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Government Launches GEMINI, a Disaster Warning Device for fisherman

Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a disaster warning device andsatellite
based Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI)system. It will help
provide information related to disaster warnings when fishermen move awayfrom the coast beyond 10 to 12
kilometres, Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) and Ocean StatesForecasts (OSF) to fishermen. Read full details here:
INTERNATIONAL
NASA gets it first all-electric experimental aircraft X-57 Mod II, codenamed Maxwell
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center(AFRC) in Edwards,
California received its first all electric experimental aircraft (X-plane) X-57Mod II (Modification II) codenamed
Maxwell from Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) of SanLuis Obispo, California, United States (US). It
replaces the traditional combustion engines on abaseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft, with electric cruise motors
and weighs approximately 3,000pounds.
First Satellite Servicing Spacecraft MEV-1 launched; developed by Northrop Grumman and NASA
The first satellite-servicing spacecraft named “MEV-1” (Mission Extension Vehicle-1) waslaunched on the
Russian Proton rocket that took off from Russia’s BaikonurCosmodrome(launching site for spacecraft) in
Kazakhstan. It was developed by NorthropGrumman, US (United States) for its wholly-owned subsidiary Space
Logistics LLC, in partnershipwith NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) through a no-funds
exchanged NASApartnership called Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities.
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NASA's hubble space telescope observes 1st Confirmed Interstellar Comet-2I / Borisov
An independent space agency of the United States(US),NASA's(National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration)
Hubble Space Telescope has observed 2nd interstellar comet named 2I/Borisovpassing through the solar
system. This is the 2nd interstellar object observed after Oumuamua in2017.
China unveiled DF-41 the most powerful intercontinental-range ballistic missile on the planet
On the 70th National Day of China which was observed on October 1, 2019, it launched DF-41(Dongfeng-41)
the most powerful intercontinental-range ballistic missile on the planet during theNational Day parade at
Chang'an Avenue in Beijing. It made its first appearance along with aclutch of new military hardware. DF-41
has a range of up to 9,320 miles (15,000 kilometres),capable of carrying 10 independently targeted nuclear
warheads and flying at 25 times the speedof sound, could theoretically, hit the United States in 30 minutes.
Scientists develops strongest silver ever, 42 % sturdier than the previous world record
A team of scientists from Vermont University of the United States (US) has developed thestrongest silver ever -
42% stronger than the previous world record. The team has mixed a traceamount of copper into the silver, that
transformed two types of inherent nanoscale defects into apowerful internal structure, due to the impurities
are directly attracted to these defects. It alsohelps in maintaining its electrical conductivity.
For the first time, researchers see individual virus formation

The researchers, including those from Harvard University in the United States (US) have capturedimages of the
formation of individual viruses. The study was published in the journal Proceedingsof the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). The viruses whenformed were of 30 nanometers in diameter
and had one piece of RNA (Ribo – Nucleic Acid) about180 identical proteins.
Saturn created a solar system record after the discovery of 20 new moons, surpassing Jupiter
A team of researchers led by Carnegie's Scott S. Sheppard from the University of California, LosAngeles (UCLA)
discovered 20 new moons orbiting Saturn, increasing its tally of moons to 82. Itsurpassed the number of moons
orbiting Jupiter planet which stands at 79. This was announcedby the International Astronomical Union's (IAU)
Minor Planet Center (MPC), France.
Remains of 5,000-year-old city unveiled in Israel's archaeological site EnEsur

Archaeologists of Israel have unveiled remains of a 5,000-year-old city believed to be the biggestin the region
from the Bronze Age. The site known as “EnEsur” included fortifications, a ritualtemple, and a cemetery. An
even earlier settlement, believed to be 7,000 years old, was discoveredbeneath the city. It is regarded as the
'New York City' of its time period.
DebayanSaha, IIT Kharagpur graduate invents "PM 2.5" device to curb air pollution
DebayanSaha, a mechanical engineering graduate from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)Kharagpur has
invented a device called "PM 2.5" when fitted near the silencer pipe in vehicles willcurb air pollution. 1 car
fitted with the device can neutralise the pollution emitted from 10 cars inits vicinity.
World’s oldest known natural pearl ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’ discovered at a Neolithic site on Marawah Island,
Abu Dhabi
An 8,000-year-old world’s oldest natural pearl named ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’ was discovered at aNeolithic site on
Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was found in thefloor of a room discovered during
excavations and the layers from which the pearl came havebeen carbon-dated to 5800-5600 BC (Before Christ),
during the Neolithic period. It wasdiscovered by the archaeologists of the Department of Culture and Tourism –
Abu Dhabi (DCTAbu Dhabi).
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Male White bellbird is the world’s loudest bird

The male white bellbird(Procniasalbus) is the world’s loudest bird which hits 125.4 decibels, asloud as a very
loud rock concert. This study was published in the journal Current Biology. The callby the bird is made as part
of their mating rituals and its mating call is about three times louderthan screaming phias (Lipaugusvociferans)
— the previous loudest bird singer
China unveils new commercial carrier rockets codenamed the Smart Dragon family &Tenglong liquid-
propellant rocket
China Rocket, commercial space wing of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT),unveiled its new
generation of commercial carrier rockets codenamed the Smart Dragon (SD)family, and a Tenglong liquid-
propellant rocket which is a cluster of solid-fuelled rockets. Thesenew Long rocket series can carry up to 1.5-
tonne payload. With this launch, it gears up to competewith India to attract the lucrative global space launch
market as India has already launched arecord-breaking 104 satellites into orbit (96 belong to the United
States).
Scientists discover 6 new lizard species of 'Dravidogecko' family at western ghats in Aurangabad,
Maharashtra
A group of scientists have discovered Six new species of Lizard in the Western Ghats Mountains
inAurangabad,Maharashtra. The six new species have been named as Dravidogeckoseptentrionalis,D janakiae
(after botanist Janaki Ammal from Kerala), D tholpalli, D meghamalaiensis, Ddouglasadamsi (after British
author and satirist Douglas Noel Adams) and D smithi (in honour ofBritish herpetologist Malcolm Arthur
Smith).
IAF successfully test-fired 2 Brahmos surface-to-surface missiles from mobile platform at Trak Island in
Andaman Nicobar
Indian Air Force(IAF) has successfully test fired 2 Brahmos surface to surface missile from mobileplatform at
Trak Island of the Andaman Nicobar Islands. The test firing was a part of routineoperational training. Both the
missiles, 2.5 tonnes each, directly hit the mock target close to300kms away. The ground targets were engaged
with accuracy from mobile platform. Read full details here:
Russia’s new Knyaz Vladimir submarine test-fired Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile for
first time
Russia’s most advanced version of the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine named
KnyazVladimir(Prince Vladimir) of Borei-class vessel, test fired the Bulava intercontinental ballisticmissile for
first time. The launch was conducted in the white sea of the northwest coast of Russiawith a dummy payload
and had precisely hit the target range of thousand kms away in theRussian region of Kamchatka.
43 | P a g e
Science & Technology 2019 – NOVEMBER

Satellite Launches
Satellite Name Country Purpose
Sudan Remote Sensing Satellite, Sudan This is the first ever satellite of
SRSS-1 Northeast African country Sudan.
The satellite was launched in a
Long March-4B rocket from
Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in
North China’s Shanxi Province.
Mini Starlink’ satellites United States To provide global internet
coverage.These satellites are
launched from ‘Falcon’ rocket from
Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape
Canaveral Air Force, Florida, US.
The launch create multiple records
for SpaceX's reusable rocketry
program.
CARTOSAT 3 satellite Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh(AP) ISRO’s PSLV-C47 rocket has
launched CARTOSAT 3 satellite
along with 13 other nanosatellites
from the United States(US) into
Sun Synchronous Orbit(SSO).
Other Science News

NATIONAL
IIT Madras developed India’s first indigenously made standing wheelchair
• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras(IITM) has developed India’s first
indigenously developed standing wheelchair named “Arise”. The wheelchair which was developed at
TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) of IITM was headed by
Prof.Sujatha Srinivasan. It was launched by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri
Thaawarchand Gehlot.
CSIR’s NEERI launches India’s 1st air pollution web repository called “IndAIR”
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) ‘s , National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI), a research institute created and funded by the Government of India (GoI) ,has
launched India’s 1st interactive online repository called IndAIR (Indian Air quality Studies Interactive
Repository),which documents air quality studies undertaken in the past 60 years. Read full details here:
CSIR’s NEERI launches India’s 1st air pollution web repository called “IndAIR”
LCA Navy 1st night time arrested landing at Goa completed successfully
• As per Defence Research and Development Organization(DRDO), a first night-time arrested landing
of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy was effectively carried out at Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) Goa.
It validates the ease of management and confidence, to arrested landing technologies. LCA Tejas was
developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy.
IIT Guwahati Researchers designed a paper-based sensor that detects the quality of Milk
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati researchers have designed a paper-based sensor to detect
the freshness of the milk. It is a simple visual detection technique to detect the quality of milk without
any special equipment and instruments. Bacteria and microbes in the milk affects the taste, freshness
and also results in health issues. The work was recently published in the journal Biosensors and
Bioelectronics. The research team was led by Dr Pranjal Chandra, Assistant Professor, Department of
Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati.
44 | P a g e
IIT Delhi to set up space technology cell in collaboration with ISRO at its campus
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi in collaboration with the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) will set up a space technology cell (STC) to contribute to the space technology
research areas such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), nanotechnology, functional textiles, smart
manufacturing at its campus. The institute will also act as the academic partner of ISRO.
UP's Raebareli rail coach factory use 'Sona 1.5' humanoid robots for document transporting
• The Modern coach factory (MCF)in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli started using ‘Sona 1.5’ humanoid robots
in its factory for transporting documents from one place to another. Sona 1.5 is a full-service robot
made in India built by Club first technologies, Jaipur. It is the World’s 1st robot with human-like spine
technology due to which they are able to balance.
Microsoft rolled out ‘K12 Education Transformation Framework’ in India

• American multinational technology company Microsoft has launched “K-12 Education Transformation
Framework” in India. The framework is about facilitating digital transformation of schools in India. It
was launched during the “2nd edition Microsoft Education Days” conducted by Microsoft in Gurgaon,
Haryana. The framework comprises of 4 pillars. They are Leadership and policy, modern teaching and
learning, intelligent environments and technology blueprint.
IIT Jodhpur developed catalytic convertor using Rajasthani clay

• A team from the Indian Institute of Technology- Jodhpur’s (IIT-J) chemistry department led by
professor Rakesh K Sharma, has developed catalytic converters for cars using Rajasthani clay. It use will
reduce pollution and is also cheaper to produce. The catalytic convertor was developed by extraction of
the Iron-Nickel-Cobalt nanoparticles from the Rajasthani clay which acts as an oxygen reservoir.
INTERNATIONAL
Mechanism behind the Big Bang explosion decoded by the scientists of University of Central Florida, US
• According to a research published in the journal Science, scientists from the University of Central
Florida in the US (United States) understand the origin of the universe by using the mechanisms that
could cause the Big Bang explosion. They are using the turbulence to enhance the mixing of the
reactions to the point where it transitions into this big reaction and essentially leads to supernovas,
exploding stars. They have developed a theory of turbulence-induced DDT (deflagration-to-detonation
transition).
Pegasus: New spyware attack in WhatsApp to spy journalists & others, especially Indians
• Facebook-owned messenger app, WhatsApp recently confirmed that Israeli based NSO group, used a
spyware called ‘Pegasus’ in WhatsApp to spy on govt. officials, journalists and activists globally, mainly
Indians. The announcement was made after whatsapp sued NSO group and Q Cyber Technologies, in
American court for illegal snooping (illegal private information gathering), which was earlier suspected
to have made a cyber-attack in the app.
China approves world’s 1st carbohydrate-based drug GV-971 to cure Alzheimer’s disease
• China’s National Medical Products Administration has officially approved an indigenously developed
Alzheimer’s drug called GV-971 (sodium oligo-mannurarate). The Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
(SIMM) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed the drug after 22 years of research
jointly with Ocean University of China and Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co Ltd.
Researchers from US discovered new strain of HIV virus after 19 years

• Team of scientists from Abbott Laboratories, an American medical devices and health care company
along with University of Missouri, Kansas City(America), have recently discovered a new subtype of
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) named HIV-1 Group M, subtype L. The findings of this HIV virus is
published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes(JAIDS). This was the first time a
new subtype of “Group M” virus was discovered after new strains classifying guidelines were
established in 2000.
45 | P a g e
NASA unveiled early version of its first electric airplane X-57 “Maxwell”
• Civilian space program and aeronautics space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) has launched its 1st all-electric experimental aircraft named the X-57 "Maxwell." It is
NASA’s 1st crewed X-plane (experimental plane) in nearly 2 decades adapted from Italian Tecnam
P2006T aircraft. The first delivery of the all-electric experimental aircraft was taken from Empirical
Systems Aerospace (ESAero) in California, United States(US). The aircraft is expected to be operational
by late 2020.
Huge X-ray burst from outer space detected by NASA

• American aerospace agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) had detected burst
of X-rays from outer space through its Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescope.
The X-ray burst, the brightest ever seen through NICER at the International Space Station (ISS), was
caused by thermonuclear flashes on the surface of a pulsar (highly magnetized rotating neutron star).
The burst came from an object/pulsar named "J1808". A paper describing the findings was published by
The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) renames Ultima thule to Arrokoth after Nazi
controversy
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has renamed a distant space rock Ultima Thule,
to Arrokoth. It is the farthest cosmic body ever visited by a spacecraft. Arrokoth or "sky" is the name of
the Native American Powhatan language following a significant backlash over the old name's Nazi
connotations. The name portrait the co-operation with Powhatan Tribal elders.
NDv2:NVIDIA’s World's largest GPU-accelerated cloud-based supercomputer

• NVIDIA announced the World’s Largest GPU (Igraphics processing unit)-accelerated cloud-based
supercomputer named NDv2 on Microsoft Azure. NDv2 is a supercomputer that has been built to
handle most demanding Artificial intelligence (AI) and its High-Performance Computing (HPC)
application.
New “Warm Jupiter” TOI-677 b exoplanet discovered by NASA

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s researches have recently discovered a new
“Warm Jupiter” exoplanet. It has been named as TOI-677 b. It is an alien world exoplanet transiting the
main sequence late F-type star on an eccentric orbit by TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). It
is about 23% bigger and massive than Jupiter. The study is detailed in a paper published on arXiv.org.
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2019 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Science & Technology 2019 – JANUARY

Epsilon – 4 rocket Japan Aerospace Exploration It was carrying 7 satellites including

Falcon 9 launched Iridium SpaceX It comprises of 10 voice and

Other Science and Technology News of National & International

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft Historic Flyby of Ultima Thule

Scientists develop ‘brain pacemaker’ to treat epilepsy Parkinson’s

HD 21749b: NASA probe discovers new planet

‘Space fuel’, made by crystallizing CO2, to curb greenhouse gases

K2-288Bb new planet discovered using NASA telescope

First manned mission to space by December 2021: ISRO

ROADEO: robot inducted by Chennai Traffic Police for traffic management

Albumin better indicator of diabetes: study by scientists of NCL, Pune

First in India:HAL-built light combat helicopter completes air-to-air weapon trials

ISRO to launch two unmanned space missions

TRAI releases Tele-density data of India

Microsoft launches e-platform under Project ReWeave to help Handloom weavers

Maharashtra armed with triple-drug therapy to fight elephantiasis

Online inter-state trade through the e-NAM portal started

UK to support nitrogen research in India

Neonatal sepsis on rise in India: AIIMS paper

BFW, Universal Robots to co-create robots for MSMEs

India accounts more than half leprosy cases globally

Science & Technology 2019 – FEBRUARY

Other Science and Technology News of National & International

NASA to launch SPHEREx mission to investigate Universe

India’s first ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ inaugurated by Mahesh Sharma

AntBot, the first walking robot to navigate without GPS, developed

Chennai got its first Drainage-cleaning robot, Bandicoot

PinarayiVijayan inaugurated first humanoid police robot in India, KP-BOT

China’s Xinhua unveils world’s first female AI news anchor

India’s LCA Tejas gets clearance for induction into IAF

Lockheed Martin unveiled new F-21 fighter jet to be made in India

SpaceX launched Israel’s first moon lander, “Beresheet”, from Florida

Science & Technology 2019 – MARCH

Other Science and Technology News of National & International

Methane Hydrate Discovered in K-G Basin off Andhra Pradesh Coast

IRCTC iPay: IRCTC’s own payment aggregator launched

DotBook: India’s first Braille laptop created by IIT-Delhi Scientists

T.N. declared to be the first state to introduce TAVI in government hospital

First exoplanet Kepler-1658b confirmed by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope

An app to detect fake currency notes created by IIT-Kharagpur

NPPA reduced the prices of 390 Anti-Cancer Non-Scheduled medicines up to 87%

Discovery of new way of powering radio sources in universe by Indian scientists

INMAS developed a range of “Combat Casualty Drug” to reduce soldier’s casualties

‘Facebook Hubs’ to foster innovation and support start-ups launched by Facebook

Astronomers discovers 83 supermassive black holes from early universe

3 astronauts successfully reached ISS on Russian Soyuz spacecraft

Mercury is closer to Earth than Venus on the basis of average distance

Japanese unmanned spacecraft, Hayabusa2 probes Asteroid Ryugu

Blockchain product ‘eMulya’ to launched by Intain Fintech

NASA spacecraft found Evidence of water, particle plumes on asteroid Bennu

A new sea level oscillation discovered by INCOIS-French scientists

Microsoft able to translate digital information into DNA

IAF formally inducted four heavy-lift Chinook helicopters

NASA’s Hubble Captured birth of giant storm on Neptune

Scientists discovers two planets using Artificial Intelligence