Tag Archives: Drone

In this Issue

I. DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Defence Budget for the Financial Year 2023-24

The Ministry of Defence has been allocated a total Budget of Rs 5,93,537.64 crore (about US $72 billion), which is 13.18 percent of the total Union Budget for Financial Year (FY) 2023-24. Accordingly, the Capital Allocations pertaining to modernisation and infrastructure development of the Defence Services has been increased to Rs 1,62,600 crore representing a rise of Rs 10,230 crore (6.7 percent) over FY 2022-23. Towards strengthening Research and Development in Defence, the allocation to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been enhanced by 9 percent, with a total allocation of Rs 23,264 crore in BE 2023-24. To further foster innovation, encourage technology development and strengthen the Defence Industrial ecosystem in the country, iDEX and DTIS have been allocated Rs 116 crore and Rs 45 crore respectively representing an enhancement of 93 percent for iDEX and 95 percent for DTIS over 2022-23. For more information: Click here to read…

Mission Mode Projects of the DRDO

As on 3 February 2023, the DRDO is working on 55 Mission Mode (MM) Projects for a total sanctioned cost of Rs 73,942.82 crore. These are in the area of Decoys, Nuclear Defence Technologies, Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), Combat Suite, Propulsion System, Air Droppable Container, Torpedo, Fighter Aircraft, Cruise Missile, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, AEW&C Aircraft System, Gas Turbine Engine, Assault Rifle, Warhead, Light Machine Gun, Rocket, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Infantry Combat Vehicle Command, Ordnance Disposal System, Tactical Radios, EW Systems, Radars, Life Support System, Geographical Information System, Surface to Air Missile, Anti-ship Missile, anti-Airfield Weapon, Glide Bomb, Simulator etc. For more information: Click here to read…

PM Modi Inaugurates HAL’s Helicopter Manufacturing Factory

In yet another step towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ or Self-Reliant in defence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Helicopter Factory to the nation in Tumakuru, Karnataka on 6 February 2023. The Prime Minister lauded the talent and innovation of Karnataka youth and said the manufacturing sector’s strength is manifested in products from drones to Tejas fighter planes. “Double-engine government has made Karnataka the first choice of investors” the Prime Minister asserted and illustrated the point by the HAL project dedicated for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016 with a pledge for reducing the foreign dependence for defence needs. For more information: Click here to read…

PM Modi Inaugurates 14th edition of Aero India 2023

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 14th edition of Aero India 2023 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru on 13 February 2023. The theme of Aero India 2023 is “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities’ and will witness participation by more than 80 countries along with 800 defence companies including around 100 foreign and 700 Indian companies. In line with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, the event will focus on displaying indigenous equipment/technologies and forging partnerships with foreign companies. Prime Minister’s emphasis on Aatmanirbharta in the Indian Defence sector will also be displayed, as the event will showcase the country’s progress in design leadership, growth in UAVs Sector, Defence Space and futuristic technologies. For more information: Click here to read…

MoD Signs Contract with L&T for Procurement of 41 Indigenous Modular Bridges

In a major boost to indigenisation of defence equipment under Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Ministry of Defence has approved the proposal for indigenous manufacture of 41 sets of Modular Bridges for the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. These game-changing bridges have been designed and developed by the DRDO and shall be produced by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) as DRDO-nominated production agency. The contract for the procurement of Modular Bridges was signed with L&T on 8 February 2023 at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,585 crore. For more information: Click here to read…

Indigenous Manufacturing of AK-203 Rifles

Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) is a joint venture company established for indigenous production of AK-203 Rifles. IRRPL has established all facilities to commence production of indigenized assault rifle at Korwa, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The Rifles are currently under manufacturing and testing stage. Indigenization of AK-203 Rifles will lead to self-sufficiency in respect of Assault Rifles for Indian Defence Forces, which is in the spirit of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. For more information: Click here to read…

Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor

In Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC), five nodes namely Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem and Tiruchirappalli have been identified. As per information received from Government of Tamil Nadu, arrangements have been made through Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) etc. for potential investment of Rs 11,794 crore by 53 Industries & Organisations in TNDIC. As on date, Rs 3,861 crore have already been invested by the Industries/Organisations. The setting up of new industries in an area generates opportunities for direct and indirect employment. For more information: Click here to read…

II. STI IN SPACE SECTOR

SSLV Launches Three Satellites

On 10 February 2023, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) successfully launched three satellites into their intended orbits. In its second developmental flight, the SSLV-D2 vehicle placed EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into their intended 450 km circular orbit with an inclination of 37 degrees. It took-off from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 09:18 hours IST and took about 15 minutes to inject the satellites. SSLV is the new small satellite launch vehicle developed by ISRO to cater the launch of small satellites up to 500 kg to Low Earth Orbits on ‘launch-on-demand’ basis. For more information: Click here to read…

Total Imports and Exports in Space Tech-Based Industry

In FY 2021-22, items worth Rs. 2,114 Crore (approx.) were imported for executing various projects/ programmes; and, Rs. 174.90 Crore was generated towards export of launch services, data sales and in-orbit support services and post-launch operations. As on 8 February 2023, 135 applications have been received by IN-SPACe from 135 Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) in the Space Sector, the Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha in reply to a question on Start-Ups in Space. The Minister informed that a new Seed fund scheme has been approved by IN-SPACe Board to provide initial financial assistance to Indian space start-ups. A revised FDI policy in space sector to facilitate overseas investment in NGEs and a National Space Policy are also in the process of final approval of the Government. For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Objects Orbiting the Earth

There are a total of 111 payloads and 105 Space Debris identified as Indian Objects orbiting the Earth, as tracked and catalogued by USSPACECOM and published in spacetrack website, as on 20 January 2023. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh said, all orbiting debris will have impact on the sustainability of outer space and future missions and added that ISRO has been carrying out many studies on impacts of growing space debris on space environment. ISRO has carried out 21 collision avoidance manoeuvres of Indian Operational Space assets in 2022 to avoid collision threats from other space objects. For more information: Click here to read…

Augmenting Domestic Capacity for Realisation of Space Tourism

The Indian Government is taking measures to augment domestic capacity for future realisation of space tourism. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh said, ISRO has also carried out a few feasibility studies for a sub-orbital space tourism mission onboard a liquid propellant stage booster. Gaganyaan, India’s maiden human spaceflight programme, ISRO is engaged in development of various technologies, which are essential building blocks for human space missions. The Minister informed that the objective of the Gaganyaan programme is the demonstration of human spaceflight capability to Low earth orbit. Future missions will be taken up after the accomplishment of Gaganyaan mission. For more information: Click here to read…

III. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the capability of AI-enabled machines to use existing text, audio files, or images to create new content. The use of Generative AI is still in its early stages, and its impact is likely to grow as technology continues to evolve and improve. The Government is cognizant of the emergence of these technologies and their rapid proliferation in sectors like education, manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and others. There is no data available on Generative AI employment. However, as per NASSCOM data, the overall AI employment in India is estimated at about 416,000 professionals. The growth rate for the sector is estimated at about 20-25 percent. Further, AI is expected to contribute an additional USD 957 billion to India’s economy, by 2035. For more information: Click here to read…

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme

The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), a flagship scheme under Startup India initiative has been implemented with eﬀect from 1st April 2021. Under the Scheme, Rs. 477.25 crore has been approved to 133 incubators of which Rs. 211.63 crore has been disbursed as on 31st December 2022, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Parkash said in his reply to a Parliament Question on 3 February 2023. The SISFS has been approved with a corpus of Rs. 945 crore for the period of 4 years starting from 2021-22. Other ﬂagship schemes under Startup India initiative include Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) extend support to startups at various stages of their business cycle. For more information: Click here to read…

Use of Drone Technology in Coal Mines

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), the premier Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Coal has introduced drone technology in coal mines by launching a web- based portal VIHANGAM along with a drone and ground control system. The portal allows an authorised person to access real time drone video from the mine through a dedicated 40 Mbps internet lease line near the mines. There is a control station that flies the drone and the system can be operated through the portal from anywhere. This pilot project is at present operational at Bhubaneswari and Lingraj opencast mines of Talcher Coalfields. MCL is making use of drone technology for environmental monitoring, volume measurement and photogrammetric mapping of mine for digitalization of mining process. Besides deploying state- of- art technology to further enhance record coal production, MCL has also stepped up the use of latest equipment to further enhance safety standards. For more information: Click here to read…

Promoting Drones in Agriculture Sector

The Indian government has released funds amounting to Rs. 126.99 crores towards Kisan Drone promotion based on the proposals received so far. This includes Rs. 52.50 crores released to the ICAR for purchase of 300 Kisan Drones and organizing their demonstrations on the farmers’ fields in 75000 hectares through 100 KVKs, 75 ICAR institutions and 25 SAUs. It also includes funds released to various State Governments for supply of more than 300 Kisan Drone to farmers on subsidy and establishment of more than 1500 Kisan Drone CHCs to provide drone services to the farmers. The use of Kisan Drones has a potential to provide ample opportunities of employment to people in rural areas. For more information: Click here to read…

5G Services in India

Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have started providing 5G services in the country from 1st October 2022 onwards. As on 31 January 2023, 5G services have been started in 238 cities distributed across all license service areas. The Indian Government has established a road map to make 5G services available in different parts of the country through rollout obligations. As per the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) dated 15 June 2022 for auction of spectrum and the license conditions, the rollout obligations are required to be met over a period of five years, in a phased manner, from the date of allocation of spectrum. For more information: Click here to read…

Initiatives to Promote Electricity Mobility and Increase Charging Stations for EVs

Several initiatives have been taken to promote electricity mobility including Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs). The steps taken to increase the number of the charging stations across the country include: Ministry of Power along with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Heavy Industries and NITI Aayog has launched a nationwide “Go Electric” Campaign on 19 February 2021 to educate the general public on the benefits of EVs. Action plans for 9 major cities have been prepared by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for installation of Public Charging Stations. As per the initial estimates, a total of 46,397 Public Charging Stations (PCS) are being targeted in these cities by 2030. For more information: Click here to read…

TRAI Releases Consultation Paper on Digital Connectivity Infrastructure

On 11 February 2023, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the Consultation Paper on “Introduction of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider Authorization under Unified License (UL)”. The purpose of this Consultation Paper is to seek views of stakeholders on the proposed DCIP authorization under Unified License. A robust Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) contributes significantly to economic development both by increasing productivity and by providing amenities that enhance the quality of life. DCI plays a vital and leading role in successful implementation of various Government schemes under Digital India, Make in India, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and development of Smart Cities. For more information: Click here to read…

Digital Transactions Increasing in India

Digital payment transactions have significantly increased as a result of coordinated efforts of the Government as a whole, along with all stake holders concerned, from 2,071 crore transactions in FY 2017-18 to 8,840 crore transactions in FY 2021-22 (Source: RBI, NPCI and banks). During last five years, various easy and convenient modes of digital payments, including Bharat Interface for Money-Unified Payments Interface (BHIM-UPI), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), and National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) have registered substantial growth and have transformed digital payment ecosystem by increasing person-to-person (P2P) as well as person-to-merchant (P2M) payments. BHIM UPI has emerged as the preferred payment mode of the citizens and has recorded 803.6 crore digital payment transactions with the value of ₹ 12.98 lakh crore in January 2023. For more information: Click here to read…

Digitization of Courts in India

The Indian Government has launched the eCourts Integrated Mission Mode Project in the country for computerization of District and subordinate courts with the objective of improving access to justice using technology. As part of the National eGovernance Plan, the project is under implementation since 2007 for ICT development of the Indian Judiciary based on the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary”. eCourts project is being implemented in association with e-Committee Supreme Court of India and Department of Justice. Phase I of the project was implemented during 2011-2015. Phase II of the project started in 2015 under which 18,735 District & Subordinate courts have been computerised. For more information: Click here to read…

Six Greenfield Airports Operationalised since 2019

Since 2019, six Greenfield airports namely, Kalaburagi (project cost Rs. 175.57 crore), Orvakal (Kurnool) (project cost Rs. 187 crore), Sindhudurg (project cost Rs. 520 crore), Itanagar (project cost Rs. 646 crore)Kushinagar (project cost Rs. 448 crore) and Mopa (project cost Rs.2870 crore) have been operationalised, out of which Kushinagar and Mopa airports are International airports. For more information: Click here to read…

India’s Nuclear Power Capacity Increasing

India’s Nuclear Power capacity witnessed a quantum jump since 2014. Going by the exact figures, in the year 2013-14 if the annual nuclear power generation stood at 35,333 Million Units, in the latest year of 2021-22 it stands at 47,112 Million Units which is nearly 30 to 40 percent increase within a short span of over eight and a half years. Dr Jitendra Singh noted that the world’s first thorium based nuclear plant “Bhavni” using Uranium-233 is being set up at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. It is going to be entirely indigenous and the first-of-its-kind. The experimental thorium plant “Kamini” already exists in Kalpakkam. For more information: Click here to read…

IV. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

India-Argentina S&T Cooperation

A high level delegation led by Argentina’s Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation of Argentina, Mr Daniel Filmus visited India and called on Dr Jitendra Singh. During the visit, the two sides discussed bilateral collaboration on a wide range of areas, including the Argentina Minister sought India’s support to deploy technologies for implementation by industry and facilitating the entrepreneurs in Argentina. Dr Jitendra Singh informed his Argentinian counterpart Mr Filmus that Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with world-class expertise and facilities, is one of the largest industrial R&D organizations in the world with 37 multi-disciplinary R&D institutes located across India. With its state-of-the-art expertise, capacities and capabilities CSIR could contribute effectively towards Research and Innovation Collaborations, Technology Partnerships, Research Infrastructure Development & Sharing, and Capacity Building. For more information: Click here to read…

India-EU Technology Cooperation

On 6 February 2023, under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), India and the EU announced the establishment of the three Working Groups: i) Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and Digital Connectivity; ii) Green & Clean Energy Technologies; and, iii) Trade, Investment & Resilient Value Chains. The TTC is a strategic coordination mechanism that will allow both partners to tackle challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology and security, and thus deepen cooperation in these fields between India and the EU. It will be co-chaired on the Indian side by the Ministers for External Affairs; Commerce & Industry; and Communications, Electronics & Information Technology. For more information: Click here to read…

India-France Tech Cooperation

Prime Minister Modi participated in a video call with President of France Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of the launch of a partnership between Air India and Airbus. Air India and Airbus have signed a contract for the supply of 250 aircraft, 210 single-aisle A320neos and 40 widebody A350s to Air India. This commercial partnership between these two players of the aviation sector also displays the strength of the India-France Strategic Partnership, which marks its 25th anniversary this year. Complimenting the strong presence of French companies in India, Prime Minister also recalled the recent decision by French aerospace engine manufacturer SAFRAN to set up its largest MRO facility in India to service aircraft engines for both Indian and international carriers. For more information: Click here to read…

India-US Tech Cooperation

On 14 February 2023, President Joe Biden had a phone call with Prime Minister Modi to discuss the historic agreement for Air India to purchase over 200 American-made aircraft from Boeing. President Biden noted how the sale will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and help Air India meet growing demands for air transportation in India. The two leaders also discussed the importance of the strategic technology partnership between the two countries, highlighting the recent inaugural launch of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) hosted in Washington in January 2023. For more information: Click here to read…

V. REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TRENDS

AI Chatbots: Next US-China Tech War

After Chip War, China is getting ready for the next tech war against the US amid rapid advances in generative AI in recent months. Chinese companies are stepping up efforts to enter the fast-growing AI content sector. But apart from the hype and excitement, people are probably missing the threat factors, especially with China in the AI game. An American company, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has swept the globe because of its advanced conversational features since its launch in November 2022. On 6 February 2023, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced the launch of its own AI chatbot, Bard, in a blog post. Google’s Chinese equivalent, Baidu Inc, revealed on 7 February that it will complete internal testing of Ernie Bot, a comparable AI chatbot project, by March and then go live. For more information: Click here to read…

Japan, Netherlands to Join US in Restricting Chinese Accesses to Advanced Materials

The US, Japan, and the Netherlands are also in discussions to restrict China’s access to materials for semiconductor technology and for the manufacturing of advanced processor chips which, they claim, can be used in weapons. The Chinse government has protested the move and continue to do so, claiming the West is trying to “maintain its hegemony” and containing China by abusing export controls. It charges the United States of encouraging other countries ganging up against China as well. For more information: Click here to read…

ASML says Chinese Employee Stole Information about Its Technology

The Netherlands’ ASML, one of the world’s major suppliers to the semiconductor industry and the sole producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography photolithography devices, has claimed that a former employee in China stole sensitive technological information in a data breach. Based on its preliminary investigations, ASML believes that the misappropriated data will not have a negative impact on its current operations, although it concedes that some “export control requirements” may have been breached. ASML has subsequently disclosed the data breach to the appropriate authorities, and it is “implementing further corrective steps in light of this event.” According to a Gartner report, ASML is a crucial cornerstone of the worldwide technology supply chain, holding over 90 per cent of the global market for chipmaking lithography equipment by 2021. For more information: Click here to read…

South Korea Concerned about Possible Leakage of Trade Secrets to China

As a result of the United States sweeping sanctions on Chinese tech companies, South Korea, one of China’s largest trading partners is now worried that certain companies may leak trade secrets to the Chinese. After getting Japan and the Netherlands to impose certain trade restrictions on the country, particularly those that would not allow tech companies based in these countries to sell technology or machinery that would allow the Chinese to develop the latest generation of semiconductors, the US is now going after China’s trade with South Korea. According to Korean specialists, as US’ efforts to deny China access to chip innovations increase, South Korea is on the lookout for technical knowledge and guides being leaked to China. In the last 5-6 years, China has reportedly been involved in over 110 cases of corporate espionage and industrial espionage with South Korean tech companies. Of these, about 36 have been related to tech which is at the centre of South Korea’s tech industry. For more information: Click here to read…

US Military Shot Down the Chinese Surveillance Balloon and Unidentified Objects

The US military shot down the Chinese surveillance balloon in early February 2023 and subsequently three unidentified objects. Since then US-China tensions have been high. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly called off his planned 5 February trip to Beijing. Just days later, the Pentagon said China refused a call from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Administration officials say the device was part of an international “high-altitude balloon programme for intelligence collection” by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that has flown over 40 countries. Beijing maintains that the balloon was a civilian airship used for meteorological research. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said that the incident “underscores the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between our diplomats and military professionals” and reiterated that his administration is “not looking for a new Cold War” with China. For more information: Click here to read…

The UK Falling Behind in the Global Semiconductor Race

As nations around the world scramble to secure crucial semiconductor supply chains over fears about relations with China, the UK is falling behind. Britain’s government has been readying a plan to diversify supply chains for key components and boost domestic production. However, a lack of experience and joined-up policy-making in Whitehall, a period of intense political upheaval in Downing Street, and new US controls on the export of advanced chips to China, have collectively stymied the UK’s efforts to develop its own coherent plan. Against this backdrop, many of the UK’s allies are investing billions in domestic manufacturing. The Biden administration’s CHIPS Act, passed last summer, offers $52 billion in subsidies for semiconductor manufacturing in the US. The EU has its own €43 billion plan to subsidize production — although its own stance is not without critics. Emerging producers like India, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan are also making headway in their own multi-billion-dollar efforts to foster domestic manufacturing. Now the UK government is under mounting pressure to show its own hand. For more information: Click here to read…

Science and Technology (S&T) Digest

Science and Technology (S&T) Digest, 16-31 December 2022, Issue 4

January 2, 2023 vd@admin

In this Issue

I. Defence and Security

Value of Indigenous Defence Production Increased in FY 2021-22
Value of Defence Exports Increased to Rs 12,815 crores in FY 2021-22
iDEX-DIO Signs 150th Contract for Defence Innovation
Successful Firing of Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched Missile
Mormugao is Being Commissioned into the Indian Navy

II. STI in Space Sector

Space Sector Emerging as a Major Foreign Exchange Earner
India’s Maiden Human Space Flight “Gaganyaan” to be Launched in 2024
ISRO Signs Four Cooperative Documents to Collaborate in Space Exploration

III. Emerging Technologies and Applications

Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme Approved for Four Years
Fifteen Start-ups Selected in First Cohort of NIRMAN Accelerator Programme
Innovation and New Technologies in Farm Sector
Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
Use of Drones in Agriculture Sector
Rosatom offered a More Advanced Fuel Option to Kudankulam
Building Semiconductor Ecosystem in India
Technology Innovation Group Setup to Develop Roadmap & Action Plans for 6G
Improved, Heavy Rare Earth-Free, Low-Cost Magnets for EVs Fabricated
Public Consultation on Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022
Total IT/BPM Exports Increased to over $ 178 billion in FY 2021-22
India Ranks 3rd in Global Scientific Publications
National Conclave on Techneev@75 organized in Delhi

IV. International Cooperation

Collaboration with International Institutions for Conducting Research in Science
ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum Held in Cambodia
India-Russia Working Group on Modernization & Industrial Cooperation
Netherlands Look to Deepen Technology Collaboration with India

V. Regional and Global Trends

US House Bans the Chinese Video App TikTok on Official Devices
Taiwan’s Government to Fine Foxconn for Unauthorized China Investment
China Seeks Self-Reliance in Agricultural Technology

I. DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Value of Indigenous Defence Production Increased in FY 2021-22

The value of indigenous defence production for Financial Year 2021-2022 reached to Rs 94,846 crore. To achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ and realise the goal of ‘Make in India’, the Government has established two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) in the country, one in Uttar Pradesh and other in Tamil Nadu. It intends to develop defence manufacturing ecosystem having conducive conditions including supply chain for giving push to production and testing & certification to create economies of scale and facilitate development of internationally competitive enterprises in the country. For more information: Click here to read…

Value of Defence Exports Increased to Rs 12,815 crores in FY 2021-22

Based on the value of Export Authorization issued by Department of Defence Production (DDP) to Private companies and actual export/contract done by DPSUs/OFB, the export value during the last three years are: Rs 9,116 crores (2019-20); Rs 8,435 crores (2020-21) and Rs 12,815 crores (2021-22) respectively. To foster defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country, the Government has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years and brought in reforms to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment, thereby promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing & technology in the country. It has brought in various reforms including ease of doing business to achieve the target of US $5 billion for defence exports by 2024-25 and to boost Defence exports. At present, the exports are being made to more than 75 countries all over the world. For more information: Click here to read…

iDEX-DIO Sign 150th Contract for Defence Innovation

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of DDP, has reached a milestone with the signing of its 150th contract with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO). The contract relates to an Indian Navy project of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 7) SPRINT edition. The challenge was titled ‘Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Training Target (EMATT) capable of simulating the sound and movement of a submarine’ and the winner was Altair Infrasec Pvt Ltd, Pune. The Challenge envisaged development of a training target capable of being deployed from P8I aircraft, MH60R helicopters, ships doing speed up to 10 knots and other Remotely Piloted Aircraft without undertaking any modification on the platform from which the EMATT is required to be launched. For more information: Click here to read…

Successful Firing of Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched Missile

On 29 December 2022, Indian Air Force successfully fired the Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched missile against a Ship Target from a SU-30MKI aircraft. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region. With this, IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from SU-30MKI aircraft against land/ sea targets over very long ranges. The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields. For more information: Click here to read…

Mormugao is Being Commissioned into the Indian Navy

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on 18 December 2022. The event marked the formal induction of the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. The majestic ship measures 163m in length, 17 m in breadth with a displacement of 7400 tonnes and can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India. For more information: Click here to read…

II. STI IN SPACE SECTOR

Space Sector Emerging as a Major Foreign Exchange Earner

The Minister of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Space Sector in India is emerging as a major foreign exchange earner through the launch of a large number of foreign satellites. In an exclusive interview with SANSAD TV, Dr Singh informed that India has launched 385 foreign satellites so far, out of which 353 were launched in the last 8 years under this government, which is around 90 percent of all launches. The Minister also informed that out of total 220 million Euros earned by launch of foreign satellites, 187 million Euros generated in the last 8 years, which is around 85 percent of forex earned by launch of European Satellites. For more information: Click here to read…

India’s Maiden Human Space Flight “Gaganyaan” to be Launched in 2024

India’s maiden human space flight ‘H1’ mission is targeted to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024, Dr Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on 21 December. In view of the paramount importance of crew safety, two Test Vehicle missions are planned before the ‘G1’ mission to demonstrate the performance of crew escape system and parachute-based deceleration system for different flight conditions. The uncrewed ‘G1’ mission is targeted to be launched in the last quarter of 2023 followed by the second uncrewed ‘G2’ mission in the second quarter of 2024, before the final human space flight ‘H1’ mission in the fourth quarter of 2024. For more information: Click here to read…

ISRO Signs Four Cooperative Documents to Collaborate in Space Exploration

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed four cooperative documents specifically to collaborate in space exploration in the last five years, Dr Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on 22 December. The agreement with the USA is for accommodating USA instruments in India’s Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3. The Minister informed that the agreement with Japan is to conduct feasibility study for a joint lunar polar exploration mission, while with UK for conducting feasibility study for collaboration in future space science missions. For more information: Click here to read…

III. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS

Start-ups in India

Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme Approved for Four Years

The Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) has been approved for the period of four years starting from 2021-22. The Scheme aims to provide ﬁnancial assistance to start-ups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. It is implemented with eﬀect from 1st April 2021 with a corpus of Rs. 945 crores. In this regard, 126 incubators have been approved and these incubators have selected 656 start-ups under the Scheme as on 30th November 2022. For more information: Click here to read…

Fifteen Start-ups Selected in First Cohort of NIRMAN Accelerator Programme

Fifteen Start-ups selected in the first-of-its-kind product accelerator programme for innovators developing sustainable solutions will soon start working towards solutions in the healthcare and agriculture domains. This is the first cohort of the NIRMAN Accelerator Programme launched by Start-ups Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) IIT Kanpur. The accelerator programme supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), through its NIDHI scheme portfolio, will help solve challenges in the product development journey of indigenous innovations. For more information: Click here to read…

S&T in Agriculture Sector

Innovation and New Technologies in Farm Sector

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)/ National Agricultural Research System (NARS) has taken initiatives for innovation/ development of new technologies in the farm sector across the country like Genetic enhancement of plants/ animals/ fish for higher productivity under increased intensity of biotic and abiotic stresses, productivity enhancement through sustainable intensification, productivity enhancement through mechanization of agriculture and food system, enhancing value, safety and income through food processing, development of energy efficient technologies, farming practices, and promoting technology transfer to the farmers and stake holders. For more information: Click here to read…

Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture

Various activities have been taken up by the government, using Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture. Some of the activities include: the DST is implementing a National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS); and, Technology and Innovation Foundation in technology vertical of “Technologies for Agriculture and Water” set up at IIT, Ropar. The applications of AI and IoT in Agriculture are in the areas of Precision Farming, Agricultural Drones and Hopping systems, Livestock Monitoring, Monitor Climate Conditions, Smart Greenhouses, AI and IoT based Computer imaging etc. For more information: Click here to read…

Use of Drones in Agriculture Sector

Scientific studies are carried out and data supporting the drone application are generated. Pilot studies with different approaches like use of remote sensing technology including satellite data and drone based images especially for crop cutting experiments planning, direct yield estimation at Gram Panchayat level, risk mapping of district and for dispute/area discrepancy resolution etc. have been conducted through Mahalanobis National Crop Forecasting Centre (MNCFC). The use of drone in agriculture is helpful to farmers as it has some distinct advantages. For more information: Click here to read…

S&T in Energy Sector

Rosatom offered a More Advanced Fuel Option to Kudankulam

Russian State-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom has offered a more advanced fuel option to Kudankulam Nuclear power plant, Dr Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on 21 December. The first lot of TVS-2M fuel assemblies has been received in May-June 2022 from Russian Federation and loaded in Unit-1 and they are performing satisfactorily. Use of TVS-2M fuel assemblies in KKNPP reactors will allow 18-month operating cycles as against 12-month operating cycle with UTVS Fuel Assemblies presently in use in Unit-2. For more information: Click here to read…

Emerging Technologies in Other Sectors

Building Semiconductor Ecosystem in India

The Government of India is very focused on its important objective of building the overall semiconductor ecosystem and ensure that, it in-turn catalyses India’s rapidly expanding electronics manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. It has approved the Semicon India programme with a total outlay of INR 76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country. The programme has further been modified in view of the aggressive incentives offered by countries already having established semiconductor ecosystem and limited number of companies owning the advanced node technologies. The modified programme aims to provide financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing and design ecosystem. For more information: Click here to read…

Technology Innovation Group Setup to Develop Roadmap & Action Plans for 6G

The Department of Telecommunications has constituted a Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) on 1st November 2021 with members from various Ministries/Departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardization bodies, Telecom Service Providers and industry to develop Vision, Mission and Goals for the 6G and also develop roadmap and action plans for 6G in India. The TIG-6G has constituted six Task Forces with industry, academia, R&D institutions and Government as members. For more information: Click here to read…

Improved, Heavy Rare Earth-Free, Low-Cost Magnets for EVs Fabricated

Scientists have fabricated improved low cost heavy rare earth-free high Nd-Fe-B magnets, which are in high demand for Electric Vehicles and can make them more affordable. More than 90 percent of EVs use brushless DC (BLDC) motors made up of rare earth Neodymium Iron Boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets. The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI) has ventured into setting up of pilot plant for manufacturing of near net shaped Nd-Fe-B magnets through a major project funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. The new strategy could also be used for commercial production of Nd-Fe-B magnets in India, reducing imports that meet the major requirements of the automotive sector. For more information: Click here to read…

Public Consultation on Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022

On 23 December, the Minister of State for E&IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar met over 200 stakeholders from various walks of life to discuss and deliberate on the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2022, public consultations for which are open till 2 January 2023. The attendees included representatives from industry, think-tanks, law firms, consumer and citizen rights group & discussed the crucial role that the provisions of the Bill are going to play for data protection. The stakeholders came up with various suggestions related to different clauses of the Bill including the penalty regime for data fiduciaries, regarding obtaining parental consent for children, cross border data flows and about consent managers and how the government intends on regulating them and many others. For more information: Click here to read…

Total IT/BPM Exports Increased to over $ 178 billion in FY 2021-22

As per National Association of Software & Services Companies (NASSCOM), total exports from Indian Information Technology/ Business Process Management (IT/ BPM) sector in the FY 2019-20 and FY 2020-21 stood at US $ 149 and US $ 152 respectively. It is estimated that total IT/BPM exports already reached at US $ 178 billion for FY 2021-2022. The Government has been undertaking steps to promote broad based growth across a wide range of high potential services sectors including Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITES). It had also launched Software Technology Park (STP) that is a 100 percent export-oriented scheme for the development and export of computer software using communication links or physical media and including export of professional services. For more information: Click here to read…

India Ranks 3rd in Global Scientific Publications

India has jumped from 7th to 3rd global ranking in scientific publications. Dr Jitendra Singh informed that as per the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 report of the United States, India’s position globally in scientific publications, has improved from 7th position in 2010 to 3rd position in 2020. He added that India’s scholarly output increased from 60,555 papers in 2010 to 1,49,213 papers in 2020. For more information: Click here to read…

National Conclave on Techneev@75 organized in Delhi

The need to build on the strength of the community and customize the role of technology according to the systemic needs of the community for changing their life and livelihood was highlighted at the National Conclave on Techneev@75, organized in Delhi on 22 December. The National Conclave is the culmination of the yearlong Techneev@75 programme organised jointly by the DST, DBT, CSIR, and the MoES to bring together communities, societal change makers, and experts on one platform, showcased the significant outcomes and discussed key learnings and the way forward to explore how absorption of science and technology could be augmented at the _community level. It set a framework for strengthening the local innovation system in collaboration with the formal innovation System. For more information: Click here to read…

IV. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Collaboration with International Institutions for Conducting Research in Science

The Government of India has collaborated with a number of international institutions to facilitate Indian students for their research in science. The collaboration has been established with select institutions, viz. European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva; Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA; Elettra Sincrotrone, Trieste, Italy; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), USA; Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway; Purdue University, USA; University of Alberta, Canada; Large Heavy Ion National Accelerator, France; Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (FLNR), Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR), Russia and Facility for Anti proton and Ion Research (FAIR), Germany. So far 363 research scholars pursued their research in science during the last three years in these institutions. For more information: Click here to read…

ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum Held in Cambodia

The three-day 3rd ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum was held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia where Ms Shalini Kumari from India received first prize in the Grassroots Innovation Competition at the 3rd ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum for her innovation ‘Modified walker with adjustable legs’. The technology which was transferred to the industry, Vissco Rehabilitation Aids, a leading manufacturer of orthopaedic products in the country, is available for purchase through Brick and Mortar stores and also through marketplaces like Amazon India for purchase by common people of the country. For more information: Click here to read…

India-Russia Working Group on Modernization & Industrial Cooperation

The 9th Session of the India Russia Working Group on Modernization & Industrial Cooperation of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation was held in New Delhi on 23 December 2022. The Working Group reviewed the results of the eighth session of the working group in the focus sub-groups identified, namely modernization, mining and mineral fertilizers & chemicals. The two sides highlighted the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries and reiterated their commitment to deepen and strengthen mutual cooperation in several areas. For more information: Click here to read…

Netherlands Look to Deepen Technology Collaboration with India

As the next G20 Presidency, India has invited the Netherlands as a guest country. The Netherlands is looking towards India to deepen technology collaboration beyond the water, agriculture and health agenda. In an exclusive interaction with Financial Express Online, ambassador of the Netherlands in India Marten van den Berg said that “There is already a strong collaboration between the Netherlands and India in R&D… But now we are looking at space technologies, as we have a huge space ecosystem, and the European Space Agency is based in the Netherlands.” He added, “We are very much focusing also to connect start-ups here with our technology programmes.” For more information: Click here to read…

V. REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TRENDS

US House Bans the Chinese Video App TikTok on Official Devices

The popular Chinese video app TikTok has been banned from all U.S. House of Representatives-managed devices, according to the House’s administration arm, mimicking a law soon to go into effect banning the app from all U.S. government devices. The new rule follows a series of moves by U.S. state governments to ban TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd, from government devices. So far 19 states have at least partially blocked the app from state-managed devices over concerns that the Chinese government could use the app to track Americans and censor content. For more information: Click here to read…

Taiwan’s Government to Fine Foxconn for Unauthorized China Investment

Taiwan’s Government has said that it would fine Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, for an unauthorized investment in a Chinese chip maker even after the Taiwanese firm said it would be selling the stake. Taiwan has turned a wary eye on China’s ambition to boost its semiconductor industry and is tightening legislation to prevent what it says is China stealing its chip technology. Foxconn, a major Apple Inc. supplier and iPhone maker, disclosed in July it was a shareholder of embattled Chinese chip conglomerate Tsinghua Unigroup. The company has been seeking to acquire chip plants globally as a worldwide chip shortage rattles producers of goods from cars to electronics. Taipei prohibits companies from building their most advanced foundries in China to ensure they do not site their best technology offshore. For more information: Click here to read…

China Seeks Self-Reliance in Agricultural Technology

President Xi Jinping wants China to accelerate efforts to achieve self-reliance in agricultural technology, identifying seed development and core equipment among areas to focus on. The central leadership had said in 2020 that the country’s seed industry was a weak link in the food chain and needed to make better use of science and technology to achieve a turnaround. “It is necessary to keep an eye on the frontiers of the world’s agricultural science and technology,” the official Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying at the central rural work conference held in Beijing. President Xi urged China’s agricultural sector to “vigourously improve” its science and technology, with more efficient innovation. For more information: Click here to read…

Science and Technology (S&T) Digest

Science and Technology (S&T) Digest, 01-15 December 2022, Issue 3

January 2, 2023 vd@admin

In this Issue

I. Defence and Security

Indian Navy and Coast Guard Being Equipped with Advanced Equipment
DRDO Hands Over AHSP of Akash Weapon System
Space Defence Mission
‘Dare to Dream’ Scheme for Promoting Start-Ups

II. STI in Space Sector

ISRO to Develop “Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’
Usage of NaviC System Increased in India
Developing Technologies for Autonomous Precision Landing of Space Rockets
DoS Establishing a Robust Regulatory System for Space Activities

III. Emerging Technologies and Applications

A Total of 84,102 Entities Recognised as Start-ups by the DPIIT
Biotech Start-ups Significantly Increased in Last 8 Years
Guidelines for PLI Incentive Scheme to Support Indigenous Drone Industry Issued
FAME and PLI Schemes Launched for Promoting Use of EVs
Steps Taken to Promote Charging Infrastructure for EVs
Rolling out of 5G Network Services
Government Proposes to Set up More Nuclear Power Plants for Clean Energy
Remaining Four units of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plants to be completed by 2027
Scope for New and Renewable Energy
Space Satellites Herald Agritech Revolution and Agritech Start-Ups
Intra-Nasal Vaccine for COVID Developed by India
AICTE Focuses on Outcome Based Model Curriculum
A Centre of Excellence in AI and Robotics Inaugurated
Digitization of MSMEs

IV. International Cooperation

Setting up of Vedanta FOXCONN Semiconductor Plant in India
India-UAE Space Cooperation
India-Germany Strengthen Partnership on the Skills Agenda
India not Reliant on China for Accessing Rare Earth Minerals

V. Regional and Global Trends

Biden Administration Adds 36 More Chinese firms to its Export List
President Biden Boosts New Semiconductor Fab Facility in Arizona
Apple Plans to Move Production Outside of China to other Countries
Germany Blocks Sale of Two Semiconductor Factories to Chinese Firms
China Spending $143 Billion on Semiconductor Tech to Counter US Ban

I. DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Indian Navy and Coast Guard Being Equipped with Advanced Equipment

Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) are being equipped with indigenous state-of-the-art ships and weapons to protect the maritime borders of the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement on 2 December 2022. The Minister highlighted a number of initiatives taken by the Government to encourage indigenous manufacturing of weapons/ products and minimise imports by DPSUs. The initiatives include notification of Positive Indigenisation Lists comprising Major Line Replacement Units/Sub-systems and SRIJAN portal. For more information: Click here to read…

DRDO Hands Over AHSP of Akash Weapon System

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) of Akash Weapon System (Indian Army Version) to Missile Systems Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA) in Hyderabad on 3 December 2022. The handing over was held at Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) which, as a nodal agency, has designed and developed the Akash weapon system. Akash is the first state-of-the-art indigenous surface-to-air missile system which has been with Armed Forces for nearly a decade defending the Indian skies and providing national security. For more information: Click here to read…

Space Defence Mission

Mission DefSpace was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during DefExpo in October 2022 with 75 Defence Space Challenges relevant to the end users. These challenges have been categorised into existing DDP initiatives of iDEX, Make-I and Make-2. Private Industries, including Start-ups, MSMEs and Individual Innovators, are eligible to apply. The challenges, classified into five buckets viz. Launch System, Satellite System, Communication & Payload System, Ground System and Software System, provide a holistic 3600 overview of space. In this regard, several policy initiatives and reforms have been brought to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment, there by promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing & technology in the country. For more information: Click here to read…

‘Dare to Dream’ Scheme for Promoting Start-Ups

A total of 52 individuals and 34 start-ups have been awarded under three ‘Dare to Dream’ contests out of 5,637 applications received in last three years. A total of 07 projects have been sanctioned and awarded to start-ups of Dare to Dream contest winners so far. DRDO has been launching Dare to Dream Contest every year since 2019 to bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals above 18 years and start-ups, recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and with Indian founders, for innovative ideas in the field of Defence and Aerospace. For more information: Click here to read…

II. STI IN SPACE SECTOR

ISRO to Develop “Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on 7 December 2022, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Government of UT – Ladakh has approached the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), a unit of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for developing “Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’ for UT-Ladakh”. The project encompasses spatial database generation (water resources, vegetation and energy potential) using remote sensing, geospatial techniques and the development of a Geo-portal for hosting this database. For more information: Click here to read…

Usage of NaviC System Increased in India

Dr Jitendra Singh, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on 7 December 2022, said that the usage of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NaviC system) has increased in India. The NaviC system finds utilisation in national projects like public vehicle safety, power grid synchronisation, real-time train information system, fishermen safety, etc. Other upcoming initiatives viz. common alert protocol-based emergency warning, time dissemination, geodetic network, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc. are in the process of adopting NavIC system. The Minister said that many mobile phone models in the country are already having NaviC compatibility. For more information: Click here to read…

Developing Technologies for Autonomous Precision Landing of Space Rockets

The Department of Space (DoS) has initiated studies towards undertaking the development of critical technologies required to achieve Autonomous Precision Landing of Space Rockets and their demonstration through Vertical Take-off & Vertical Landing (VTVL) of Test Vehicles. In order to become an active stakeholder in the small satellite market, ISRO/DoS has initiated development of Spacecraft buses for the small satellites, which includes nano-satellite and micro-satellites. For more information: Click here to read…

DoS Establishing a Robust Regulatory System for Space Activities

The DoS is in the process of establishing a predictable, forward-looking, enabling regulatory regime for space activities in India, through a comprehensive, well-defined policy for the entire gamut of such activities, Minister Jitendra Singh said on 7 December in a Statement in the Lok Sabha in reply to a question regarding launch of Vikram-S Rocket. The New Space India Limited (NSIL) a Public Sector Enterprise under the DoS, has been empowered to bring a commerce-oriented approach to space activities. For more information: Click here to read…

III. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS

A Total of 84,102 Entities Recognised as Start-ups by the DPIIT

Under Start-up India Initiative, a total of 59,787 entities were recognised as start-ups in the last ﬁve years (years 2017-2021) by the DPIIT. As on 30th November 2022, 84,102 entities have been recognised as start-ups by the DPIIT. Recognized startups are spread across 56 sectors. Sustained Government eﬀorts in this direction have resulted in increasing the number of recognized Startups from 452 in 2016 to 84,012 in 2022 (as on 30th November 2022), Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Som Parkash said in reply to a parliament question on 7 December. For more information: Click here to read…

Biotech Start-ups Significantly Increased in Last 8 Years

Addressing an “International Conference on Emerging Trends in Biosciences and Chemical Technology- 2022”, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India’s bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years under Prime Minister Modi from $10 billion in 2014 to over $80 billion in 2022. Biotech Start-ups have grown 100 times in the last 8 years from 52 odd startups in 2014 to 5300 plus in 2022. The Minister pointed out that from a paltry investment of Rs 10 Crore in Bio-economy in 2014, the fund growth saw 400 times hike to Rs 4200 crore in 2022, creating over 25,000 high skilled jobs. For more information: Click here to read…

Guidelines for PLI Incentive Scheme to Support Indigenous Drone Industry Issued

For the effective operation and smooth implementation of the PLI scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has formulated and notified the operational guidelines. The guidelines have been notified on 29th November 2022 for the information of all the stakeholders and the public. To make India a global hub for the research and development, testing, manufacturing, and operation of drones under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 were released to create a growth-oriented regulatory framework for drones. To facilitate further growth, the Government has approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Drones and Drone Components in India. For the implementation of this scheme during 2022-23 to 2024-25, a corpus of Rs 120 crores has been allocated. For more information: Click here to read…

Reform Measures to Promote Drone Industry

The Government of India has undertaken a series of reform measures to promote India’s upcoming drone industry which include: Drones Rules, 2021 notified on 25 August 2021 provide the necessary regulatory framework for commercial use of drones; Drone Airspace Map published on 24th September 2021; PLI scheme to promote the growth of drone manufacturing by private companies launched in 30 September 2021; and, UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Policy Framework was published on 24th October 2021. Ministry of Civil Aviation has proactively engaged with various Union Ministries and State/UT Governments across the country to promote drone applications. For more information: Click here to read…

FAME and PLI Schemes Launched for Promoting Use of EVs

For promoting the use of electric vehicles in the country and to make their manufacturing cost effective, following three schemes have been formulated by the Ministry of Heavy Industries: Phase II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme initially for a period of three years commencing from April 2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs. 10,000 crore; the PLI Scheme for Automotive Sector with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 25,938 crores approved in September 2021; and, PLI Scheme for manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 18,100 crore approved in May 2021. For more information: Click here to read…

Steps Taken to Promote Charging Infrastructure for EVs

Under phase-II of FAME-India Scheme, Rs. 1000 Cr. is allocated for the development of charging infrastructure. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has sanctioned 2,877 electric vehicle charging stations in 68 cities across 25 states/UTs. Further, 1576 charging stations across 9 Expressways and 16 Highways under phase-II of FAME India Scheme has also been sanctioned. For more information: Click here to read…

Rolling out of 5G Network Services

The Minister of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 14 December said that Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have started providing 5G services in the country from 1st October 2022 onwards and as of 26 November 2022, 5G services have started in 50 towns distributed over 14 States/UTs. As per the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) dated 15 June 2022 for auction of spectrum and the license conditions, the rollout obligations are required to be met over a period of five years, in a phased manner, from the date of allocation of spectrum. For more information: Click here to read…

S&T in Energy

Government Proposes to Set up More Nuclear Power Plants for Clean Energy

The Government of India has proposed to set up more nuclear power plants for augmenting production of clean energy. In addition to the eleven (11) reactors (8700 MW) under construction, the Government of India has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of ten (10) indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode. The Government has also accorded in principle approval for five new sites for setting up nuclear power plants in the future. The present installed nuclear power capacity comprises of 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW. In addition, one reactor, KAPP-3 (700 MW) has also been connected to the grid. For more information: Click here to read…

Remaining Four units of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plants to be completed by 2027

At present, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 1&2 of 1000 MW capacity each are already in operation and the remaining four units of 1000 MW each are under construction. On their progressive completion, the full capacity of Kudankulam site of 6000 MW is expected to be reached by the year 2027, Dr Jitendra Singh said in a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on 8 December. For more information: Click here to read…

Scope for New and Renewable Energy

In line with the Prime Minister’s announcement at COP26, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is working towards achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030, and achieving Net Zero by 2070. A total of 172.72 GW capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources has been installed in the country as on 31 October 2022. This includes 119.09 GW Renewable Energy, 46.85 GW Large Hydro and 6.78 GW Nuclear Power capacity. This constitutes a share of 42.26% of total installed generation capacity in the country i.e. 408.71 GW as on 31 October 2022. For more information: Click here to read…

S&T in Agriculture

Space Satellites Herald Agritech Revolution and Agritech Start-Ups

Space Satellites herald Agritech revolution and Agritech Start-Ups which is going to mark a major next breakthrough for India’s Agriculture sector after the Green revolution of yesteryears. Dr Jitendra Singh and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, formally released the data products and services of RISAT-1A satellite for the user community in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi on 13 December. The Trinity of Geospatial Systems, Drone Policy and Unlocked Space Sector will be a game-changer for Indian Agriculture in both augmenting the farmer’s income and realising the vision of the $5 trillion economy. For more information: Click here to read…

S&T in Health

Intra-Nasal Vaccine for COVID Developed by India

World’s first intra-nasal vaccine for COVID developed by India has got approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for restricted use in emergency situations in the age group of 18 and above. Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the Product development and Clinical trials were funded by the Department of biotechnology, Government of India and BIRAC under the Mission COVID Suraksha Programme. India’s efforts through Mission COVID Suraksha under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi has not only strengthened AtmaNirbhar Bharat but also bolstered India’s status as a worldwide vaccine development and manufacturing center showcasing the strength of Science and Technology. For more information: Click here to read…

S&T in Education

AICTE Focuses on Outcome Based Model Curriculum

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlights the importance of focusing on student learning outcomes and making quality education accessible, affordable, equitable and inclusive. Accordingly, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has revamped the existing curriculum and launched outcome based Model curriculum for Diploma, Undergraduate and Post Graduate courses in Engineering and PGDM/MBA. AICTE has also prepared Model curriculum for courses in Emerging Areas like (i) Artificial Intelligence (AI), (ii) Internet of Things (IoT), (iii) Block Chain, (iv) Robotics, (v) Quantum Computing (vi) Data Science (vii) Cyber Security (viii) 3D Printing and Design and (ix) Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) etc., and permitted in engineering institutes from academic year 2020-21. For more information: Click here to read…

AIM Launches Community Innovator Fellowship

On 1 December 2022, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, in collaboration with UNDP India announced the launch of applications for Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF) to facilitate knowledge building and provide infrastructure support to aspiring community innovators essential for their entrepreneurship journey. Currently there are 22 Community Innovator fellows being incubated at the Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) programme of AIM. For more information: Click here to read…

A Centre of Excellence in AI and Robotics Inaugurated

On 3 December 2022, the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics at the Jyothi Engineering College in Thrissur, Kerala and expressed hope that it will encourage young Indians to venture into innovation and applications of AI and robotics in different fields. The Minister said there is already a wave of opportunities for innovation and startups in India. For more information: Click here to read…

MoU Signed for Learning in the field of AI and ML

Chitkara University announced its collaboration with NEC Corporation India, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, for a comprehensive academic programme for aspiring students to facilitate them with hands-on training and research facilities in the area of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (Al/ML) and High-Performance Computing (HPC). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NEC Corporation India and Chitkara University. The agreement will provide an opportunity for the University to upskill its students, faculty and academic researchers in the field of AI. For more information: Click here to read…

Other Socio-Economic Sectors

E-Shram Portal, Database on Migrant Workers, Launched

Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched e-SHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26 August 2021. It has been made available to the States/ UTs for registration of unorganised workers on e-SHRAM portal. The main objective of the e-SHRAM portal is to create a national database of all unorganised workers including Construction Workers, Gig and Platform workers, Street Vendors, Domestic Workers, Agriculture Workers, Migrant workers and similar other workers seeded with Aadhaar. For more information: Click here to read…

Digitization of MSMEs

As on date 1.24 crore Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are registered in Udyam Registration portal and further benefitted through various programmes. Under the MSME Champions Schemes ‘Digital MSME’ component has been included for digital empowerment of MSMEs in the country. The Ministry of MSME propose to support MSMEs through “Digital MSME” a component of MSME Champions Scheme to bring in digitization and digitalization and to make MSMEs digitally empowered and motivate them to adopt digital tools, applications and technologies in their production & business processes with a view to improve their competitiveness. For more information: Click here to read…

IV. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Setting up of Vedanta FOXCONN Semiconductor Plant in India

Vedanta Semiconductors Ltd., a Joint Venture between Vedanta and Foxconn is an applicant under the Scheme for setting up of semiconductor Fabs in India. As per their application, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, were proposed as possible locations. However, the applicants in their final submissions have informed that they had decided Dholera Industrial City, Gujarat as final location for their proposal, and have submitted definitive agreement and Government orders from the Government of Gujarat stating the details of support from the State. This information was provided by the Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 7 December. For more information: Click here to read…

India-UAE Space Cooperation

Addressing the Opening Ceremony of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) summit, “Abu Dhabi Space Debate” on 5 December 2022, Dr Jitendra Singh described India as a key Global Player in the Space sector and reiterated that under Prime Minister Modi, India is keen to take its Space cooperation with the UAE to newer heights. The Minister said that development of the Space sector is one of the priority areas for the leaders of both India and the UAE and added that India started its space journey seven decades back from a scratch and is today acknowledged to be a leading space power. He said that the indigenously developed Space sector of India and the fast-growing Space sector of the UAE have a lot of complementariness that can be harnessed. He shared that India’s active space partnership with the UAE dates back to 2017, when our PSLV launched UAE’s first nanosatellite – ‘Nayif-1’ meant for collecting environmental space data. For more information: Click here to read…

India-Germany Strengthen Partnership on the Skills Agenda

To propel economic growth by empowering the youth with the right skills and providing them the access to right opportunities, 12th meeting of the Indo-German joint working group was held in New Delhi on 7 December to encourage Vocational Education and Training (VET). The deliberations at the meeting were aimed at institutionalizing a standard mechanism for VET to meet the skill requirements in priority sectors as per the German standards. A skill mapping exercise will be undertaken to assess the skill gaps and based on the same, bridge courses and upskilling programmes will be designed for skill training of Indian workers. For more information: Click here to read…

India not Reliant on China for Accessing Rare Earth Minerals

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on 14 December, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India is not reliant on China for accessing rare earth minerals. In India, capacity and capabilities in terms of mining, processing, extraction, refining and production of high pure RE oxides is adequately available. The Minister said that the production of Monazite the primary source of rare earth mineral in India is around 4000 MT per annum. For more information: Click here to read…

V. REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TRENDS

Biden Administration Adds 36 More Chinese firms to its Export List

On 15 December 2022, the Biden administration added 36 Chinese firms to its export blacklist on efforts to block Beijing’s access to advanced military and surveillance technology from the U.S. Yangtze Memory Technologies, one of China’s largest chip makers, was added to the U.S.’s “Entity List” alongside 34 other Chinese companies and one Chinese subsidiary located in Japan, essentially blocking the firms from receiving U.S. technology. US Undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, Alan Estevez in a statement said that the additions to the Entity List will severely restrict China’s ability to “leverage artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and other powerful, commercially available technologies for military modernization and human rights abuses.” For more information: Click here to read…

President Biden Boosts New Semiconductor Fab Facility in Arizona

On 6 December 2022, US President Joe Biden’s visit to a massive construction project in north Phoenix highlighted Arizona’s role in a major U.S. policy shift on semiconductor manufacturing.
The Biden administration is pushing to boost domestic chips manufacturing with more than $50 billion in subsidies in the new CHIPs and Science Act. President Biden’s visit to the new fabrication facility being built by Taiwanese chips giant TSMC came as the firm announced it would build a second fabrication facility and triple its investment in Phoenix to $40 billion. For more information: Click here to read…

Apple Plans to Move Production Outside of China to other Countries

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. smartphone giant Apple Inc. is accelerating plans to move some China-based production lines to other southeastern Asian countries such as India and Vietnam. That would represent a significant shift in the so-called de-Sinification of global supply chains after manufacturers become aware of risks of concentrating production in China. Stephen Ezell, director of global innovation policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington told Voice of America (VOA) that more multinationals might follow suit if Apple succeeds in shipping products from India, as it had produced a small percentage of iPhone 14s there. For more information: Click here to read…

Germany Blocks Sale of Two Semiconductor Factories to Chinese Firms

Geopolitica.Info reported that Germany by blocking the sale of two semiconductor factories to Chinese companies showcased that it “will not allow China to swallow up its companies of strategic and critical importance”. Berlin’s decision comes despite German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China in November amid criticism by lawmakers from his country and the European Union. For more information: Click here to read…

China Spending $143 Billion on Semiconductor Tech to Counter US Ban

China is spending $143 billion to combat U.S. moves to cut off its supply of semiconductor technology. The funds will be used to provide financial subsidies and incentives to help China’s chipmakers develop and acquire semiconductor technology to withstand the U.S. move. Meanwhile, China has initiated the process of challenging the U.S. order at the World Trade Organization. Its Commerce Ministry has accused the United States of “generalizing the concept of national security and abusing export control measures, which hinders the normal international trade in chips and other products.” For more information: Click here to read…

China Digest

China: Daily Scan, September 27, 2022

September 27, 2022 vd@admin

Xi writes foreword for literature collection on rejuvenation: Xinhuanet

September 26, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping has written a foreword, titled “Forging Ahead on the Journey to National Rejuvenation,” for works of literature collected in the Revitalization Library, which will soon be published. Click here to read…

China offers 9 bln USD to businesses to maintain jobs: Xinhuanet

September 26, 2022

China has stepped up efforts to save jobs this year, with some 64.63 billion yuan (9.19 billion U.S. dollars) having already been offered to businesses this year. Unemployment insurance refunds totaling 44.84 billion yuan were given to some 7.21 million enterprises, or more than half of all employers covered by the social security net, in the first eight months of the year, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Click here to read…

China’s insurance asset management association registers massive product value: Xinhuanet

September 26, 2022

The value of products registered by the Insurance Asset Management Association of China, an organization for the country’s insurance asset management industry, totaled 684.84 billion yuan (about 97.42 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of the year. Click here to read…

China’s top political advisory body to meet in late October: China Daily

September 26, 2022

The Standing Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body, will convene its 24th meeting from Oct 31 to Nov 2. Click here to read…

Details of Party Congress delegates expounded, 33.6% from frontlines of work and production: Global Times

September 26, 2022

After all delegates to attend the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were selected, officials introduced in detail the characteristics of the delegation, with 33.6 percent of Party members working at the frontlines of work and production, more female representatives and more delegates from ethnic minority groups. Half of them hold postgraduate degrees, and they are from a wide range of walks of life. Click here to read…

China’s next-gen solar-powered drone expected to make debut soon: Global Times

September 26, 2022

China is expected to unveil its next-generation, solar-powered large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with very long endurance soon, which will have a larger wingspan than its predecessors that allows it to carry larger payloads for missions including reconnaissance, monitoring and communications relay in near-space, said Chinese experts familiar with the matter on Monday. Click here to read…

North Korea, China resume cross-border freight train operation after COVID closures: Reuters

September 26, 2022

Cross-border freight train operations between North Korea and China has resumed, Beijing said on Monday, ending a five-month suspension to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed reports out of South Korea that China and North Korea had decided to resume cross-border freight train traffic that had been suspended in April due to the pandemic. Click here to read…

Countdown to China’s Communist Party congress enters final stages with release of delegate list: South China Morning Post

September 26, 2022

Preparations for the Chinese Communist Party’s national congress next month are in their final stages, with the release of the names of more than 2,000 delegates to the event.
“Each electoral unit across the country convened a party congress or party representative meeting and elected 2,296 delegates to the 20th party congress,” state broadcaster CCTV said on Sunday. The congress will get under way on October 16 and is expected to mark the start of President Xi Jinping’s third term as the party’s leader. Click here to read…

Police in C.China’s Hunan crack money laundering case via cryptocurrency, 40 billion yuan involved: Global Times

September 27, 2022

The public security department of Hengyang county under Hengyang city, Central China’s Hunan Province announced recently that a 40-billion-yuan (($5.58 billion) money laundering case involving cryptocurrency had been cracked, which was linked to over 300 telecom fraud schemes, the National Business Daily reported on Tuesday. Click here to read…

More policy tweaks likely to settle realty: People’s Daily

September 27, 2022

China may signal more policy adjustments to stabilize the real estate market as a regulatory official recently noted that “bubble signs and the financialization trend in China’s real estate sector have been substantially reversed”, experts said. Click here to read…

China joins hands with rest of world to advance international process of firearms control: People’s Daily

September 27, 2022

China has decided to launch its domestic procedure to ratify the UN Firearms Protocol, announced the country at the general debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 24. Click here to read…

China playing prominent role in coping with global challenges: People’s Daily

September 27, 2022

Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has made remarkable achievements, becoming the world’s second largest economy, the largest trading nation, as well as a major trading partner for over 120 countries and regions. It is an important engine driving global growth. Its success is inspiring many developing countries. Click here to read…

China’s industrial profit declines accelerate as demand weakens: Reuters

September 27, 2022

Profits at China’s industrial firms shrank at a faster pace in January-August, as strict COVID restrictions and a deepening property slump weighed on domestic demand, adding to uncertainties about the faltering economy. Click here to read…

COVID-19: Chinese commentator urges virus experts to speak out: Reuters

September 27, 2022

Prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin on Sunday said that as China ponders its COVID-19 policies, epidemic experts need to speak out and China ought to conduct comprehensive research and make any studies transparent to the public. Click here to read…

‘Painful lessons’: call for China’s Communist Party to avoid ‘strategic mistakes’: South China Morning Post

September 27, 2022

The Communist Party cannot afford to make “strategic mistakes” as it did during the Cultural Revolution, the former executive vice-president of the Central Party School has said. He Yiting made the remark in an article published in Study Times, the school’s official publication, on Monday. He also said the party needed a “grand strategy” to lead the nation through the current turbulent and challenging times. Click here to read…

Countdown to China’s Communist Party congress enters final stages with release of delegate list: South China Morning Post

September 26, 2022

Former senior provincial legislator arrested for bribery: Xinhuanet

September 27, 2022

China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) announced its decision to arrest Li Jiexiang, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Qinghai Provincial People’s Congress, for suspected bribe-taking. Click here to read…

China discloses more evidence of cyber attacks by U.S. security agency: Xinhuanet

September 27, 2022

China on Tuesday released a new investigation report in which it said further evidence has been found to show the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) is behind “thousands of cyber attacks” on a Chinese university. Click here to read…

Researchers develop digital mask to facilitate anonymous diagnosis, privacy protection: Xinhuanet

September 27, 2022

Chinese researchers have developed a digital mask to make anonymity when seeing a doctor come true and save patients’ facial privacy, according to a research article recently published in the journal, Nature Medicine. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 173 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

September 27, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 173 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 58 were in Sichuan and 44 were in Guizhou, the National Health Commission said Tuesday. Altogether 636 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified. Click here to read…

Nearly 70 countries say no to interference in China’s internal affairs: China Military

September 27, 2022

Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet related issues are China’s internal affairs, and there should be no politicization of human rights and double standards, or interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, a group of countries stressed Monday at the on-going 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council. Click here to read…

Shanghai establishes virus research institution to deepen sharing mechanism; virologist Guan Yi appointed as chief: Global Times

September 27, 2022

The Shanghai Virus Research Institution was officially established in Shanghai on Monday, with internationally renowned virologist Guan Yi appointed as the first chief of the institute. The new institute is intended to deepen the cooperation and sharing mechanism in the field of virology research. Click here to read…

China Digest

China: Daily Scan, August 23, 2022

August 23, 2022 vd@admin

Changing of China’s diplomatic guard on agenda for this year’s party congress: South China Morning Post

August 21, 2022

With cross-strait tensions skyrocketing following this month’s controversial visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, all eyes are on who will lead China’s diplomatic corps after this autumn’s party congress. The congress is expected to see President Xi Jinping secure a third term as party general secretary and usher in a new line-up of younger Communist Party leaders. Click here to read…

China’s political advisors discuss employment-first policy: Xinhuanet

August 22, 2022

The Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee convened a meeting on Monday to discuss the implementation of the country’s employment-first policy. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the opening meeting of the 23rd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee. Click here to read…

Chinese Foreign Ministry refutes wrongful remarks by U.S. Ambassador to China concerning Taiwan region: Xinhuanet

August 22, 2022

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday refuted U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns’ wrongful remarks concerning the Taiwan region, noting his remarks confound right with wrong, and once again show the distorted and hegemonic logic of the United States. Click here to read…

Chinese public security authority urges better care for police officers: Xinhuanet

August 22, 2022

China will step up efforts to improve the care and protection provided to police officers, and see that their efforts are properly compensated, a newly released document shows. The document, released by the Communist Party of China committee of the Ministry of Public Security, calls for more efforts to safeguard the officers’ honor, protect their physical and mental health, and effectively implement relevant preferential policies. Click here to read…

China releases results of investigation into math textbook illustrations: Xinhuanet

August 22, 2022

China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) on Monday announced the results of an investigation into problematic illustrations in math textbooks for primary school students published by the People’s Education Press (PEP). According to an MOE statement, the illustrations of public concern failed to conform to the aesthetic preferences of the public in the overall painting style, and some of them did not meet high professional standards for illustration production. Certain illustrations featured errors and some other illustrations had the potential to cause misunderstandings. Click here to read…

Cooperation with China helps promote connectivity, poverty alleviation in Africa: Qiushi

August 22, 2022

When the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) was launched on May 31, 2017, Grace Wambui, a middle-aged Kenyan trader, could thus transport her goods seamlessly to earn profit. Constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, the 480-km modern railway line, linking Kenya’s port city of Mombasa to the capital of Nairobi, has been at the heart of the country’s socio-economic transformation. Click here to read…

Employment stressed at CPPCC session: China Daily

August 22, 2022

China has made progress in promoting employment against the backdrop of the COVID-19 epidemic and an economic downturn, as the nation continues to implement its employment-first policy and secure a more stable job market. Click here to read…

Conference urges expediting vaccinations for seniors and vulnerable groups: China Daily

August 22, 2022

During a conference over the weekend, health officials and experts called for expediting COVID-19 vaccinations for the elderly and other vulnerable groups, while boosting research into the effects variants have on vaccines. Official data shows that as of Sunday, China had administered over 3.42 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, and fully vaccinated over 90 percent of the population. Click here to read…

Six former staff of infamous Apple Daily to plead guilty; ‘little time left’ for diehard secessionists like Jimmy Lai: Global Times

August 22, 2022

Six former employees of Hong Kong’s secessionist media Apple Daily are going to plead guilty on the charge of violating the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, according to the court’s hearing on Monday. They faced charges of colluding with foreign forces to jeopardize national security, as well as printing, publishing, distributing, displaying, or copying inflammatory publications. Click here to read…

27 people punished over problematic math textbook illustrations: Global Times

August 22, 2022

China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) on Monday announced penalties for 27 people, including senior executives of People’s Education Press, after a three-month investigation into problematic illustrations in primary school math textbooks. The people involved either received serious warnings or were removed from their post. The Party chief of the publishing house, Huang Qiang, was given serious intra-Party warning and major demerit, and editor-in-chief Guo Ge was removed from the post. Click here to read…

Indian FM criticized for blaming China over border issue, as it’s India, not China, that has ‘disregarded’ and ‘violated’ bilateral pacts: Global Times

August 22, 2022

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s recent remarks blaming China for the current China-India border issue could undermine the mutual trust and affect the development of bilateral relations, Chinese analysts warned. They said that it’s India, not China, that has disregarded and violated the bilateral pacts and encroached on China’s territory. Click here to read…

Will Toyota’s India strategy serve as reference for Chinese firms?: Global Times

August 22, 2022

Toyota is rebooting its strategy for India. This time, the Japanese carmaker is expected to focus more on lower-cost hybrids, instead of its flagship sedan in India – the Camry Hybrid, which is relatively expensive, Reuters reported on Monday. Central to Toyota’s new strategy is a drive to cut the cost of full hybrid powertrains by carrying out localized production in India, the report said. Click here to read…

China’s aviation regulator sets up goals for drone industry: Reuters

August 22, 2022

China’s civil aviation regulator on Monday proposed a roadmap for development of its civilian drone industry, saying it wanted to boost their use in inner-city logistics and eventually for long-haul goods transport. The proposed plan by the Civil Aviation Administration of China detailed various targets the regulator wanted its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry to reach by the years 2025, 2030 and 2035, including improving regulations and expanding airspace capacity for civilian UAVs. Click here to read…

Chinese military ship leaves Sri Lanka after controversial visit: Reuters

August 22, 2022

A Chinese military survey ship that docked at Sri Lanka’s Chinese-built port of Hambantota despite opposition from neighbouring India left on Monday after a week-long stay, the port company told Reuters. Click here to read…

Further policy support to shore up NEVs: People’s Daily

August 23, 2022

China’s latest package of favorable moves for new energy vehicles, including exempting NEV purchase taxes for another year, is expected to further ensure the sector’s smooth and healthy development, analysts said. Click here to read…

Pinduoduo to launch international e-commerce platform next month: Reuters

August 23, 2022

Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo (PDD.O) plans to launch a cross-border e-commerce platform next month which will target the United States as its first market, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The company, a rival of Alibaba Group and JD.com in China, has briefed its merchants but details have not yet been finalized, the source said, declining to be named as the information was not public. Click here to read…

China says COVID has exacerbated decline in births, marriages: Reuters

August 23, 2022

China’s National Health Commission said COVID-19 has contributed to the decline in the country’s marriage and birth rates that has accelerated in recent years due to the high costs of education and child-rearing. Many women are continuing to delay their plans to marry or have children, it said, adding that rapid economic and social developments have led to “profound changes”.Click here to read…

Changing of China’s diplomatic guard on agenda for this year’s party congress: South China Morning Post

August 21, 2022

Chinese mainland reports 308 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

August 23, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 308 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 205 were in Hainan Province, the National Health Commission said Tuesday. Altogether 1,440 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified on Monday, including 520 in Hainan and 518 in Tibet Autonomous Region, said the commission in its report. Click here to read…

Rice-producing areas rev up drought relief: China Daily

August 23, 2022

Despite persistent drought, Cao Liming, a 50-year-old farmer in Jiangxi province, is still looking forward to a bumper harvest this year. Cao contracts about 12.7 hectares of farmland in Zhouxi township, where the irrigation water source relies mainly on Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake. Click here to read…

China Digest

China: Daily Scan, November 30, 2021

November 30, 2021 vd@admin

Yin Li elected Party chief of China’s Fujian: Xinhuanet

November 30, 2021

Yin Li has been elected secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Yin was elected to the post at the first plenary session of the 11th CPC Fujian Provincial Committee on Monday. Click here to read…

Senior Jiangxi provincial legislator under probe: Xinhuanet

November 29, 2021

Gong Jianhua, a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Jiangxi Provincial People’s Congress, is being investigated for suspected severe violations of discipline and law. Gong has turned himself in and is under investigation by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, according to a statement released on Monday.Click here to read…

China unveils regulation on securities, futures violations: Xinhuanet

November 29, 2021

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree unveiling a regulation on new law-enforcement methods for individuals and corporations violating laws in the country’s capital market. The new regulation, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022 details fresh measures for government enforcement departments in handling individuals and corporations that break securities or futures laws but promise to rectify illegal behaviors, compensate investors for losses and eliminate negative effects. Click here to read…

Tibet sends out nearly 9 bln kWh of electricity: Xinhuanet

November 29, 2021

The Tibet Electric Power Co., Ltd. of the State Grid said it transmitted 8.98 billion kWh of electricity out of the region from 2015 to this summer. All the electricity sent out was generated by clean energy, the company said. In 2015, Tibet sent electricity to neighboring Qinghai Province for the first time, with 1.81 million kWh per day, marking that Tibet’s clean energy began to participate in the regional balance of power supply in northwest China and the optimization and adjustment of the country’s energy structure, said the company. Click here to read…

Policies aim to help ease burden of child raising: China Daily

November 30, 2021

More favorable parental leave policies have been rolled out in Chinese cities and provinces recently in an effort to reduce the burden of childbirth and child care. More than 10 cities and provinces, including Beijing and Shanghai and Jiangxi and Qinghai provinces, have launched detailed measures, such as longer parental leave, to support couples having more children. Click here to read…

Drones adapted to marine observation: China Daily

November 29, 2021

China has begun to deploy unmanned aircraft to carry out marine meteorological observation, according to Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation’s leading aircraft maker and the program’s contractor. The State-owned defense conglomerate said on Saturday that under a contract from China Meteorological Administration, it has started using a Wing Loong 10 unmanned aircraft to observe cloud cover, temperature, humidity and wind above the ocean’s surface to provide data support to researchers at the administration. Click here to read…

Draft amendment to China’s Teachers Law to regulate rights, obligations and competency undergoes public consultation: Global Times

November 30, 2021

China’s Ministry of Education on Monday issued a notice for public consultation on the draft amendment of the Teachers Law, which will establish an award mechanism for teachers who have made significant contributions to education. The draft amendment is open to public consultation until December 20. The draft revision also regulates the basic rights and obligations of teachers, including the right to assess students’ behavior and academic performance as well as the rights to praise, reward, criticize and discipline students, according to the draft revision. Click here to read…

College teacher punished for insulting comments on Chinese history: Global Times

November 29, 2021

A teacher of Nanjing University of Finance & Economics was punished for releasing insulting comments on Chinese history. He has been removed from his teaching post and demanded to make a public apology. Some netizens said that Feng Jihai, a teacher from the School of Journalism in Nanjing University of Finance & Economics, had released improper and insulting words on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media. Click here to read…

China-India border: building boom in the Himalayas as Beijing shores up troops and weapons for winter: South China Morning Post

November 30, 2021

China has built underground shelters along its borders with India in the Himalayas to protect its troops and weapons as tensions between the two countries persist into the harsh winter.The People’s Liberation Army Western Theatre Command, which oversees the border areas with India, has sped up construction of below-ground facilities to preserve most of its strategic bases and barracks, according to Chinese state media and a military observer. Posts appeared on Chinese social media showing the subterranean structures and quoted experts at a recent impact dynamics seminar organised by State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology in Beijing as saying they were designed for military assets of strategic value, such as an underground command centre, hangars or missile storage. Click here to read…

Chinese province targets journalists, foreign students with planned new surveillance system: Reuters

November 30, 2021

Security officials in one of China’s largest provinces have commissioned a surveillance system they say they want to use to track journalists and international students among other “suspicious people”, documents reviewed by Reuters showed. A July 29 tender document published on the Henan provincial government’s procurement website – reported in the media for the first time – details plans for a system that can compile individual files on such persons of interest coming to Henan using 3,000 facial recognition cameras that connect to various national and regional databases. Click here to read…