Final Lap 2024

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology

Cell Cell theory

• all living organisms are composed of cells and products of
cells
• all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Types of cells
• prokaryotic – lack a membrane-bound nucleus
ex. Bacteria, archaea
• eukaryotic – have membrane bound nuclei (0, 1 or more)
ex. Plants, animals, fungi, protozoa

Cell organelles and their functions:

• nucleus – DNA storage
• mitochondria – energy production (ATP)
• ribosomes – protein production
• lysosomes – protein destruction (suicide bags)
• vacuole - store water, nutrients, and the waste materials of
the cell

Plant vs Animal cell Plant cell Animal cell

Have cell wall (outer cover) No cell wall
as well as cell membrane
(inner cover)
Large single vacuole Many small vacuoles
Have chloroplasts for No chloroplasts
photosynthesis

DNA, RNA • While DNA stores genetic information, RNA mostly helps in
transfer and expression of information. Though DNA and RNA
both function as genetic material, but DNA being chemically
and structurally more stable is a better genetic material.
• DNA has the blueprints for every protein in our body, all
packaged into a neat double helix.
• Transcription (making a complementary strand of RNA from
DNA) is completed within the nucleus
• Translation (making protein from RNA instructions) takes
place in the cytoplasm.

Terms • Chromosomes - In the nucleus of each cell, the DNA molecule

is packaged into thread-like structures called chromosomes.
• Genome – an organism’s complete set of DNA
• Gene – functional sequence of DNA

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• Genotype (backend) – pattern of genes in an organism’s DNA

responsible for particular traits
• Phenotype (frontend) – observable physical properties of an
organism

Genetic Modification Direct Manipulation of DNA of an organism to get desired

(GM) Technology characteristics

Approaches for Gene 1. CRISPR- Cas9

Editing/ Gene 2. Homing Endonuclease
Modification 3. Site Directed Endonuclease (SDN)
● In SDN, ‘Nucleases’ are used which are like
molecular scissors which cleave the DNA at
desired position
● SDN 1 and 2 do not introduce any alien gene while
SDN3 does
● In SDN 1 and 2 result is indistinguishable from a
conventionally bred crop

CRISPR cas9 This technology got awarded the Nobel Prize in 2020

Bt cotton • Only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation in India.

• it is said to lost its efficacy against the Pink Bollworm (PBW)
pest.
• GEAC asked states to test a new kind of transgenic cotton seed
that contains a gene, Cry2Ai, which makes cotton resistant to
pink bollworm.
• Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies have been used in Bt
Cotton.

DMH 11 (Dhara Mustard ● GEAC has approved its environmental release

Hybrid) ● It is a transgenic hybrid crop developed by researchers at
Delhi University by crossing Indian Mustard Varuna
(Barnase Line) with East European Early Heera 2 Mutant
(Barstar Line)
● Foreign genes come from a soil bacteria called ‘Bacillus

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GM Crops regulators in
India
Bioeconomy
CAR (Chimeric Antigen
Receptor)-T Cell Therapy
Genome Sequencing
IndiGen Programme
Genome India Project
Human Genome Project
Telomere to Telomere
(T2T) consortium
Dark Genome
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amyloliquefaciens’
● Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under Ministry of
Science is the nodal for GM research and setting of safety
standards
● GEAC - Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is the
regulator under Ministry of Environment and Forests to
approve GM Crops in India, allow field trials and approve
large scale release in environment
● ICAR - Indian Council For Agricultural Research under
Ministry of Agriculture for R&D on GM crops
An economy that sources its energy and material needs from
renewable sources
• cellular immunotherapy treatment that uses T cells that
are genetically altered in a lab to enable them in locating
in destroying cancer cells more effectively.
• T-cells taken from patient’s blood à CAR gene inserted à
CAR T-Cells infused in blood
• Ex. NexCAR19 – to target cancer cells that carry CD19
protein.
● A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA.
Sequencing it involves deciphering the order in which
base pairs of the DNA are arranged
● In human DNA, there are 3 billion base pairs
● Genome sequencing helps in understanding human
evolution, identify genetic diseases
● USA in 1990 led the Human Genome Project (HGP) while
in India we have had initiatives like INDIGEN (by CSIR) and
Genome India (by DBT)
● INSACOG ( Indian SARS Cov2 Genomics Consortium) was
an recent programme by CSIR, MoHFW, DBT etc to
sequence the genome of SARS COV2 virus.
Whole-genome sequencing of 1000 Indian individuals
By CSIR
build a grid of the Indian “reference genome” after collecting
10,000 samples
• by Deptt of Biotechnology
international research effort to determine the DNA sequence of
the entire human genome. It sequenced 92% of human genome.
It sequenced the remaining 8% of human genome.
• The human genome is conventionally divided into the
“coding” genome, which generates the ~20,000
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annotated human protein coding genes, and the “dark”

genome, which does not encode proteins.
• The dark genome is a vast space, accounting for the
~98.5% of genomic space where repeat elements,
enhancers, regulatory sequences, and non-coding RNAs
reside.

RNA interference (RNAi) • RNAi disrupts the production of harmful proteins by

technology intercepting and incapacitating mRNA transcripts before they
make it to ribosomes. This prevents the corresponding
proteins from being made
• Used for controlling gene expression, gene-silencing

mRNA vaccine Benefits: use of a non-infectious element, shorter manufacturing

times, and potential for targeting of multiple diseases. mRNA
vaccines can be developed in a laboratory using a DNA template
and readily available materials.

Enzyme Replacement • U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) recently gave nod
Therapy to world’s first enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).
• Adzynma - the first genetically engineered protein product for
ERT.
• for treating congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
(cTTP), a rare blood clotting disorder.

Mitochondrial
Replacement Therapy (3-
parent baby)

2 methods – pronuclear transfer, spindle transfer

Gene Drive ● genetic engineering technique that modifies genes so that

they don’t follow the typical rules of heredity.
● It increases the likelihood that a particular suite of genes will
be passed onto the next generation, allowing the genes to
rapidly spread through a population and override natural
selection.
● Applications: agri pest control, disease vector control

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) ● small fragments of nucleic acids that are released from cells
and found outside the cell in body fluids as plasma, urine, and
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
● cfDNA quantity in the blood increases under pathological

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 Final Lap 2024

conditions such as auto-immune diseases, cancer etc.

● used in detection and diagnosis of diseases

Stem Cells ● cells with the unique ability to develop into specialised cell
types in the body.
Type Description Ex
Totipotent Can develop into all cell Zygote
types
Pluripotent Into most cell types Embryo
Multipotent Into some cell types Umbilical cord
Oligopotent Into few cell types Bone marrow cells

Gene Therapy for Sickle
Cell Disease
● USFDA approved 2 gene therapies for sickle cell disease:
Casgevy, Lyfgenia
● Casgevy is based on CRISPR which uses molecular "scissors" to
trim faulty parts of genes that can be disabled or replaced with
new strands of normal DNA.
● Lyfgenia uses a more conventional form of gene therapy that
uses a virus to transfer a gene into cells.

Molecular Motor ● These are type of proteins that drive intracellular movement by
converting chemical energy to mechanical work - useful in
processes like muscular contraction, cell division etc

Health

Immunity Types
• Innate – non-specific, present since birth
Ex. Skin, acid in stomach, saliva in mouth

• Acquired – specific to a pathogen – (B-cell and T-cell are also

called lymphocytes)
o Humoral – involves role of B-cell lymphocytes through
production of antibodies. B-cell produce antibodies that
destroys invading pathogen
o Cell-mediated – involves role of T-cell lymphocytes by
directly attacking and destroying the pathogen. T-cells
destroy body’s own cells that have been taken over by
pathogen. T-cells produce cytokines that activate other
parts of the immune system

Vaccines • Inactivated - use the killed version of the germ that causes a
disease. Ex. Hepatitis, polio, rabies
• Live-attenuated - use a weakened (or attenuated) form of the
germ that causes a disease. Ex. MMR, smallpox, chickenpox,
yellow fever
• mRNA – use genetic material from pathogen to make proteins
in order to trigger an immune response. Ex. Pfizer and
Moderna covid vaccine

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• Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate - use

specific pieces of the germ—like its protein, sugar, or capsid
(a casing around the germ). Ex. Hib, Pneumococcal disease
• Toxoid - use a toxin (harmful product) made by the germ that
causes a disease. Ex. Diphtheria, Tetanus
• Viral vector - use a modified version of a different virus as a
vector to deliver protection. Ex. Covishield

Inverse Vaccine • In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks healthy

tissue e.g., psoriatic disease
• Inverse vaccine stops the immune system from attacking
good, healthy cells. Instead, it retrains the immune system to
save healthy cells.

About Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR)
• AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites
evolve over time and no longer respond to antimicrobials
(such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials).
• WHO has declared AMR as one of the top 10 global public
health threats facing humanity
• Causes of AMR : Over prescription, unregulated use of
antibiotics, adding excessive antibiotics to agricultural feed,
poor hygiene etc.
Steps by WHO against AMR Steps by India
Global Action Plan on National Action Plan on
Antimicrobial Resistance containment of Antimicrobial
(GAPAR) Resistance (NAP-AMR), 2017

AWaRe (Access, Watch, Delhi Declaration on AMR

Reserve) Tool

Global Antimicrobial Red Line Campaign on

Resistance and Use Antibiotics.
Surveillance System
(GLASS)

Schedule H1 to the Drugs and

Cosmetics Act

Biofilm • thin layer of microorganisms (as bacteria) that forms on

various surfaces (like medical implants, kitchen counters, food
and food processing surfaces, contact lenses, human and
animal tissue) and exhibits antimicrobial resistance.

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Concept of ‘One Health’
Orphan diseases
Sickle Cell Disease
Human Papillomavirus
(HPV)
Zombie Virus
Sickle cell anaemia
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Diseases of low prevalence
ex. Thalassemia, sickle cell anemia etc
inherited disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells
(RBCs), which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
RBCs are usually round and flexible, so they move easily through
blood vessels. In sickle cell disease, some RBCs are shaped like
sickles or crescent moons which slows or blocks blood flow.
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that may cause cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women in
India despite being largely preventable.
Cervical cancer can be eliminated if all prepubertal girls are given
HPV vaccination globally.
Cervavac, the India’s first quadrivalent human papillomavirus
vaccine (qHPV) has been Manufactured by Serum Institute of
India.
Zombie virus is a virus emerged due to thawing of permafrost as
global temperature is rising.
Occurs due to a genetic mutation that causes hemoglobin in red
blood cells (RBCs) to clump together.Affects the shape of RBCs.
RBCs are usually round and flexible, so they move easily through
blood vessels. In sickle cell anaemia, some RBCs are shaped like
sickles or crescent moons. They become rigid and sticky, which
can slow or block blood flow.
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Viral diseases
Dengue vaccine
Chikungunya vaccine
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD)
Bacterial diseases
Drugs price control
NAMASTE Portal
Food Fortification
Biofortification
Trans Fat
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Covid, Nipah, Zika, Polio, Influenza, Chikungunya, West Nile fever,
Dengue, Hepatitis, Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD), Measles-
Rubella
Dengvaxia
Ixchiq
• LSD is a vector-borne pox disease that is caused by
Capripoxvirus.
• LSD infects cattle and water buffalo mainly through vectors
such as blood-feeding insects. The disease is not zoonotic,
meaning it does not spread from animals to humans.
TB, Leprosy (Hansen’s disease), Trachoma, Leptospirosis
Essential Commodities Act, 1955
⬇
Drug Price Control Order, 1995 à National Pharmaceutical Pricing
Authority (NPPA) controls prices of drugs mentioned in National
List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)
NPPA: not statutory, under M/o Chemicals and Fertilizers
• National Ayush Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies
Electronic (NAMASTE) portal provides standardized
terminologies & morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and
Unani systems of medicine.
• Under Ministry of Ayush
Deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in
food to improve the nutritional quality of to provide public health
benefit with minimal risk to health.
In India, wheat flour and rice are fortified with Iron, Vitamin B12
and Folic Acid, Milk and Edible Oil with Vitamins A and D and
Double Fortified Salt with Iodine and Iron
breeding crops to increase their nutritional value. This can be
done either through conventional selective breeding, or through
genetic engineering.
• Partially unsaturated fats
• Can be natural or artificial
• increase shelf life, stabilize flavors
• raises LDL (bad cholesterol)
• found in vanaspati ghee, margarine, fried foods, burgers,
pizza etc.
• WHO’s REPLACE program – eliminate trans-fat from food by
2025
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Aflatoxin • Toxin and a potent carcinogen produced by Aspergillus flavus

fungi
• Mainly found in agri crops – rice, maize, groundnuts, figs,
spices
• found in milk too
• produced by improper handling of cereal grains & oilseeds

Non-Sugar Sweeteners
• Contains few to no calories but has higher sweetness intensity
per gram than sugar
• Ex. acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates,
neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives.
• Aspartame is used to sweeten diet colas that claim to have
‘no sugar, no calories.’

Food Safety and • Statutory body – FSS Act, 2006

Standards Authority of • Autonomous body under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
India (FSSAI) • Lays standards for food and regulate their manufacturing,
storage, transport etc.

Codex Alimentarius • international food standards body jointly established by WHO

Commission (CAC) and FAO.
• HQ: Rome, Italy
• India is a member
• Aim: to protect consumer’s health and ensure fair practices in
food trade.
• Codex standards are voluntary.
• Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures (SPS) of WTO recognizes Codex standards

Xenotransplantation • transplantation, implantation or infusion of non-human

tissues or organs into human recipients.

INSACOG By Deptt of Biotechnology (M/o S&T) + MoH&FW

Consortium of national labs to monitor genomic variations of
SARS-Cov2

GAVI alliance Global partnership with the goal of increasing access to

immunization in poor countries

Coalition for Epidemic global partnership launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop
Preparedness future epidemics
Innovations (CEPI) India – founding member

Information & Communication Technology

5G vs 4G 4G 5G
Latency 10ms <1ms
Speed 1 Gbps 10 Gbps
Max Bandwidth 100 MHz 1000 MHz

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mmWave • Millimeter Wave band is a particular segment of radio

frequency spectrum that range between 24 GHz and 100 GHz.
This spectrum has a short wavelength, and is apt to deliver
greater speeds and lower latencies.

• higher the frequency, faster the data transfer but lower the
range

Mobile Edge Computing • Technique to process data, close (location-wise) to the point
where it is generated to get faster analytics with minimal
latency. It provides near real time analytics and highly efficient
system performance.

WiFi v LiFi WiFi LiFi

Speed 1-2 Gbps 1 Gbps
Privacy - Light is blocked by
walls, so more secure
Range 30 m 10 m
Interference yes no
issue

Virtual Private Network • Encrypted connection over internet from a device to a

(VPN) network in real time
• Offers anonymity, security as well as confidentiality

Deep Web Vs Dark Web

Generative AI • type of artificial intelligence that can create new content or

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data that is similar to what it has been trained on.

• It works by learning patterns and characteristics from a given
dataset and then generating new content based on that
understanding.
• Generative AI can be used to create text, images, music, and
more, often with impressive levels of realism and creativity.
• Ex. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Dall-E

Deepfakes • video/image that has been edited using an algorithm to

replace a person in the original video/image with someone
else, in a way that makes the video look authentic.

4D Printing • 4D printing is the process through which a 3D printed object

transforms itself into another structure over the influence of
external energy input such as temperature, light or other
environmental stimuli.
• It can have applications in robotics, cancer treatment etc

Supercomputer Speed measured in FLOPS

Top 500 supercomputers – 3 supercomputers of India
#1 AMD’s Frontier (world’s fastest)
#2 Intel’s Aurora
#3 Nividia’s Eagle
#90 AIRAWAT (India) – developed by CDAC

Quantum Computing Qubit: basic unit of information in quantum computing

Key Principles
• Superposition: quantum bits can represent 0/1 both at the
same time
• Entanglement: quantum bits affect each other even at great
distances

Quantum Key • a secure communication method that uses quantum

Distribution mechanics to generate and distribute cryptographic keys. It
(QKD) allows two parties to create a shared secret key that can be
used to encrypt and decrypt messages

Proof Of Work And Proof • Terms related to consensus mechanism in cryptocurrencies

Of Stake that allow mining of new blocks by making sure valid/authentic
work is done
• Bitcoin uses Proof of Work while Ethereum uses the Proof of
Stake Mechanism

Markets in Crypto Assets • Passed by European Parliament

(MiCA) legislation • a legal framework for crypto-asset services providers as well as
consumer protection.

Web 3.0 • next evolution of the World Wide Web

• focus on decentralization, use of cryptocurrency, driven by AI
and ML, AR & VR, enhanced privacy and security, smart
contracts etc.

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Digi Yatra • Mobile Application developed by Ministry Of Civil Aviation for

seamless transit through airports
• With this, a passenger’s face acts as a boarding pass and there
is no need for carrying multiple documents

India Stack • A platform of open APIs (Application Programming Interface)

like - Aadhar, UPI, Co-WIN, digilocker etc

National Internet • Not for profit organisation, established in 2003

Exchange Of India (NIXI) • Facilitates exchange of domestic internet traffic between
Internet Service Providers
• Functions as India’s registry for ‘.in’ domain

Global Lighthouse • Led by McKinsey and WEF, it is a community of manufacturers

Network who showcase leadership in application of 4th Industrial
Revolution technologies like AI, Big Data etc.

Cryptojacking • A hard to detect cyber-attack, where a computing device is

hacked to illicitly mine cryptocurrency

E- SIM • Embedded SIM, where SIM card is physically soldered onto the
device PCB and cannot be easily removed

Bluebugging • Hacking a device via its bluetooth connection

RFID • RFID is the wireless non-contact use of radio frequency waves

to transfer data. RFID systems usually comprise an RFID
reader, RFID tags, and antennas.
• RFID doesn't need line of sight.

Space Technology

Orbits GEO – 35,786 km

MEO – 5000-2000 km
LEO – 160-1500 km

Polar orbit – type of LEO, usually travel past Earth from north to
south rather than from west to east, passing roughly over Earth's
poles.

GTO - special kind of orbit used to get from one orbit to another

ISRO’s launch vehicles PSLV

• 4 stages – solid, liquid, solid, liquid
• Carrying capacity – 1750 kg (LEO), 1500 kg (GTO)

GSLV
• 3 stages – solid, liquid, cryogenic
• Carrying capacity – 6,000 kg (LEO), 2250 kg (GTO)

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GSLV MkIII (LVM3)

• 3 stages – solid, liquid, cryogenic
• Carrying capacity – 8000 kg (LEO), 4000 kg (GTO)

POEM (PSLV Orbital • It allows for in orbit experiments during 4th stage of PSLV
Experimental Module)

Chandrayaan 3 • LV: LVM3

• Objectives:
o Demonstration of a Safe and Soft Landing on the Lunar
Surface
o Demonstration of Rover roving on the moon.
o Conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
• Payloads: RAMBHA, ChaSTE, ILSA, APXS, LIBS, SHAPE

NaVIC (Navigation with • Developed by ISRO, it is a regional (not global) navigational

Indian Constellation) system
• Earlier called IRNSS, it functions via a cluster of 7 satellites. ( 4
in geosynchronous, 3 in geostationary orbit)
• It provides navigational range of around 1500km from Indian
Landmass

Regional Navigation NavIC India

Systems Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) Japan

Global Navigational GPS USA

Systems GLONASS Russia
Galileo EU
Beidou China

Artemis I ● Moon Mission planned by NASA

● It aims for deep space exploration and later to land 1st
woman on moon
● In Greek Mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and
goddess of moon

James Webb Space ● It is NASA’s largest and most powerful space science
Telescope (JWST) telescope.
● Built by International collaboration between NASA, European
Space Agency (ESA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
● Webb views the universe in infrared,
● Its primary mirror is 6.5 metres in diameter.
● It will not be in orbit around Earth but will orbit the Sun, 1.5
million kilometres away from the Earth at the second
Lagrange point or L2.

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JUICE Mission • To study Jupiter and its three moons – Ganymede, Callisto and
Europa.
• By European Space Agency (ESA)

OSIRIS-Rex Mission • To collect samples from asteroid Bennu and deliver them to
Earth.
• Bennu is small near Earth carbon rich asteroid.
• By NASA

GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO • Developed by Airports Authority of India And ISRO
Augmentation and • Possible uses in Air traffic control, crop spraying etc.
Navigation)

Tidal Locking • It is a gravitational phenomenon in which an astronomical

body (Moon) has the same rotational period as its orbital
period around a partner (Earth). This means the body rotates
around its axis in exactly the same time it takes to orbit its
partner, resulting in the same side always facing the partner.

Aditya L1 mission by ISRO • Successfully placed at L1 point

• It will study the Sun’s corona, solar emissions, solar winds and
flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and will carry out
round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.
• L1 stands for Lagrangian Point 1.

Structure of Sun Layers:

Core > Radiative zone > Convective zone > Photosphere >
Chromosphere > Corona

Coronal Heating problem: temperature decreases away from

sun’s core but corona is far hotter than photosphere

Solar Cycle: cycle of sun’s magnetic field. Every 11 years, sun’s

magnetic field completely flips. Cycle tracked using sunspots

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(darker, cooler areas on sun’s surface).

Moon craters Craters on the moon are of a more permanent nature than those
on earth. Why?
• Erosion, tectonics, and volcanism - keep the surface of the
earth crater-free and remove traces of collisions that have
happened in the past. Moon – no atmosphere, no tectonics,
no volcanism
• An absence of atmosphere on moon means no wind system
and no weather on the moon, and hence no cause for erosion
of existing craters.
• Absence of tectonics prevents the moon’s surface from
forming new rocks, or causing a shift in the existing surface
patterns, unlike that on earth.
• Absence of volcanism makes it impossible for craters to be
covered.

Blood Moon Blood Moon, commonly known as total lunar eclipse, occurs
when the moon passes through the darkest part of Earth's
shadow, known as the umbra. It is called blood moon
because of the reddish hue.

Universe composition • 5% - matter, 27% - dark matter, 68% dark energy

• Matter includes Earth, sun and other celestial bodies
• Dark matter doesn’t interact with electromagnetic force.
• Dark matter pulls galaxies together, while dark energy pushes
them apart.

Laser Interferometer observatory to detect cosmic gravitational waves

Gravitational-Wave operational: Hanford, Livingstone (US), GEO600 (Germany)
Observatory under construction: VIRGO (Italy), KAGRA (Japan)
(LIGO) approved: Hingoli (India)

Gravitational lensing • phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of

relativity
• describes how the path of light bends when it passes near a
massive object - mass of the object warps the fabric of
spacetime around it, causing light from objects behind it to
follow a curved path.
• To an observer, this makes the light source appear distorted,
magnified, or multiplied.

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Black Holes

Types of neutron stars Magnetar, Pulsar

Distance from sun Asteroid belt à Kuiper belt à Heliopause à Oort cloud

Dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake, Haumea

Betelguese, Bellatrix Red supergiants

Goldilocks zone Habitable zone around a star.

Defence

Types of Missiles Ballistic Missile: A high-speed projectile designed for long-range

delivery, following a ballistic trajectory. Ex. Prithvi, Agni, Trishul
Cruise missile: A high-speed projectile designed for long-range
delivery, following a ballistic trajectory. Ex. Brahmos, Nirbhay

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Jet Engines

S400 • world’s most Advanced air defence system.

• Mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system developed by
Russia
• Carries command and control centre, automatic tracking and
targeting systems, launchers and support vehicles.
• Carries separate radar systems which can detect aerial targets
to a range of 400 kms (surveillance range up to 600km).
• Simultaneously engages 80 aerial targets.
• Can hit target up to altitude of 30km.

Astra Missile • Indigenously Developed by DRDO

• Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile
• Designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring
supersonic aircraft.
• All weather day and night capability
• Designed to mount on fighter aircrafts
• Range: 80-110 kms for version Mk1 and 160kms for version Mk2.
• Altitude: Up to 20 km.
• Max Speed: Mach 4.5

MQ-9B Reaper Drone • Country of origin: USA

Project 75 India - P75(I) • Acquire diesel-electric submarine of scorpene class in Indian

Navy.
• Under it, Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, Vagir, Vagsheer
commissioned.

Varunastra Anti-submarine torpedo

Designed and developed by DRDO

Misc

Nobel Prizes in Physics • for research related to attosecond pulses of light.

2023 • Attosecond pulses: incredibly short bursts of light, lasting for
just a billionth of a billionth of a second. These have allowed
scientists to capture the fastest events ever recorded, with a
time resolution on the order of attoseconds.

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Nobel Prizes in Chemistry • for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.
2023 • Quantum dots: man-made semiconductor particles or crystal,
size is normally not more than 10 nanometers. They exhibit
unique optical properties due to their small physical size

Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine 2023
• for work that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines
against Covid-19.
• mRNA vaccines work by introducing a piece of mRNA that
corresponds to a viral protein, usually a small piece of a protein
found on the virus’s outer membrane.
• By using this mRNA, cells can produce the viral protein. As part
of a normal immune response, the immune system recognizes
that the protein is foreign and produces specialized proteins
called antibodies.

Neutrinos Second most abundant particles in universe after photons

Interact very little with anything, hard to detect
No electrical charge, nearly massless, travel close to speed of
light

Fundamental forces Strength: Strong nuclear > Electromagnetic > Weak nuclear >
Gravitational

Infinite Range: Gravitational, Electromagnetic

Short range: Strong, Weak nuclear

Uranium Natural Uranium (2 isotopes) - 99.3% U-238 || 0.7% U-235

Enrichment - creates an effective nuclear fuel out of mined
uranium by increasing the percentage of uranium- 235 which
undergoes fission with thermal neutrons

Vanadium hard, silvery-grey, malleable metal

one of the 30 critical minerals, identified by India.
Derived from mined iron ore, shale, steel slag
Found in Karnataka > Maharashtra > Odisha
China – largest reserves
Brazil – largest exporter

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