Indian scientists unravel hidden process behind transition of cells (GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- Recently, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have devised an experiment that sheds light on the mechanism that leads to transitions in cell membranes.
- The transition is essential for several biological phenomena such as cell division, cell mobility, transport of nutrients into cells, and viral infections.
Cell membranes:
- The researchers have looked at colloidal membranes, which are micrometer-thick layers of aligned, rod-like particles.
- These membranes provide a more tractable system to study as they exhibit many of the same properties as cell membranes, and unlike a plastic sheet, where all the molecules are immobile, cell membranes are fluidic sheets in which each component is free to diffuse.
Key Highlights:
- The experiment reveals the three-dimensional details of the pathway by which membranes undergo topological shape changes in real-time.
- The colloidal membranes were made by a solution of rod-shaped viruses of two different lengths: 1.2 micrometers and 0.88 micrometers.
- The team studied the shape of the colloidal membranes changes as one increases the fraction of short rods in the solution.
- Over time, the membranes began merging and growing in size, and when the saddles merged laterally, they formed a bigger saddle of the same or higher order.
Way Forward:
- The team wants to further the study and understand how other microscopic changes in the membrane components affect the large-scale properties of membranes
India's first commercial satellite broadband service
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- Hughes Communications India (HCI) in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) officially launched its first high throughput satellite (HTS) broadband internet service in the country.
- The company had been testing its operation in North India for the last year.
Mandate:
- From northeast to desolate parts of Leh and Ladakh, the company, using ISRO's Ku-band capacity of GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 satellites has promised to deliver high-speed satellite broadband services to remote locations across India.
What is HTS?
- High-throughput Satellite differs from a conventional satellite in the sense that it increases capacity when using the same amount of orbital spectrum while simultaneously reducing the cost per bit.
- HTS provides much more bandwidth. It provides much lower-cost bandwidth, and it provides a much higher user experience.
- HTS uses spot-beam to perform its operations, unlike traditional satellites which use a broad single beam or few beams. Spot beam technology allows to focus on a limited area and provides seamless and fast connectivity.
- Hughes India uses its home-grown Jupiter system for both HTS and conventional satellite implementations worldwide. HCI is currently providing satellite broadband access to more than two lakh business and government sites across India.
Current operations of HTS:
- Through the HTS technology, the company is already providing assistance to the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces patrolling the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other remote border outposts.
- Currently, cooperative banks, telecommunication 4G operators, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the customers of HTS service. At the moment, Hughes has 1 Gbps of capacity on HTS but expects to grow it to 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps in the future.
International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Prime Minister addressed the inauguration of the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2022, at India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida.
Theme of IDF WDS 2022:
- The theme is ‘Dairy for Nutrition and Livelihood’.
Uniqueness of dairy sector in India:
- India's dairy sector is characterized by "production by masses" more than "mass production".The sector provides livelihood to 8-crore families.
- There is huge network of Dairy Cooperative in India, which collect milk twice a day from about two crore farmers in more than two lakh villages in the country and deliver it to the customers.
- The indigenous breeds can withstand many adverse circumstances. For example, the sturdy buffalo breed of Banni Buffalo of the Kutch region of Gujarat. Other buffalo breeds such as Murrah, Mehsana, Jafrabadi, Nili Ravi, and Pandharpuri; among the cow breeds, he mentioned Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Kankrej, Tharparker and Haryana.
- Women have a 70% representation in the workforce in India's dairy sector.
Background:
- The four-day-long IDF WDS 2022, held from 12th to 15th September, is a congregation of global and Indian dairy stakeholders including industry leaders, experts, farmers and policy planners.
- Around 1500 participants from 50 countries are expected to participate in IDF WDS 2022. The last such Summit was held in India about half a century ago in 1974.
Way Forward:
- The Indian dairy industry is unique because it is based on a cooperative model that empowers small and marginal dairy farmers, especially women.
- Driven by the vision of the Prime Minister, the government has taken multiple steps for the betterment of the dairy sector resulting in an increase in milk production by more than 44% in the last eight years.
- The success story of the Indian dairy industry, accounting for about 23% of global milk, producing around 210 million tonnes annually, and empowering more than 8 crore dairy farmers, will be showcased at the IDF WDS 2022. The summit will also help Indian dairy farmers gain exposure to global best practices.
