Indigenous stealth guided-missile destroyer INS Mormugao commissioned (GS Paper 3, Security)
Why in news?
- Recently, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned in the presence of Raksha Mantri at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
- 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.
About INS Mormugao:
- Named after the historic port city of Goa on the west coast, the ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare conditions. It is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas configuration, capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots.
- The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section. INS Mormugao has a complement of about 300 personnel.
- With over 75% indigenous content, all her major weapons and sensors have been developed and manufactured in India either directly through design and development by Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or through strategic tie-ups and Transfer of Technology with reputed foreign OEMs.
Salient Features:
- Measuring 163m in length and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, INS Mormugao is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as Surface-to-Surface Missile and Surface-to-Air Missiles.
- The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems.
- Its Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously-developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and the ASW helicopters.
P15B destroyers:
- P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping and manoeuvrability.
- Enhanced stealth has also been achieved, making the ships difficult to detect.
- With a significantly increased indigenous content, P15B destroyers are a hallmark of self-reliance in warship design and building and a shining example of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Vision & aim:
- With power dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region constantly changing, the ship's all-domain capability will augment the Indian Navy’s mobility, reach and flexibility to accomplish any mission or task.
- Induction of the ship into the Navy also reflects India’s growing ability to remain First Responder and Preferred Security Partner in the region.
History:
- The ship was launched on September 17, 2016 and commenced sea trials on December 19, 2021, coinciding with 60 years of Goa Liberation.
- The commissioning on 18 December is significant as it was the same date in 1961 when Operation Vijay was launched to liberate Goa from Portuguese rule.
India third in global ranking in scientific publications
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- India has jumped to the third position in the global ranking in scientific publications.
- According to 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 seventh position in 2010 to third position in 2020.
Details:
- India's scholarly output increased from 60,555 papers in 2010 to 1,49,213 papers in 2020.
- India now ranks third in terms of number of PhDs in science and engineering.
- The number of patents granted to Indian scientists at India Patent Office (IPO) during the last three years has also increased from 2,511 in 2018-19 to 4,003 in 2019-20 and 5,629 in 2020-21.
Funding:
- The Department of Science and Technology (DST) was likely to get 20 per cent more allocation in the upcoming Union Budget 2023-24 in comparison to last year.
- In the 2022-23 budget, the DST received Rs 6,002 Crore, which was 42 per cent of the total fund of Rs 14,217 Crore allocated to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
- The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research received Rs 5,636 crore (40%), while the Department of Biotechnology got Rs 2,581 crore (18%).
GII 2022:
- According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022 brought out by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), India's GII ranking has also improved significantly from 81st in 2014 to 40th position in 2022.
National Science Foundation:
The National Science Foundation is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.
