Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – March 12, 2020

VIKAS (an acronym for Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai) is a family of liquid-fuelled rocket engines conceptualized and designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre since the 1970s.
The early production VIKAS engines used imported French components which were later replaced by domestically produced equivalents. It is used in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) series of expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. VIKAS engines are used to power the second stage PSLV, boosters and second stage of GSLV Mark I and II and now the first stage of GSLV Mark III (LVM3).

The first experimental mission of ISRO’s Scramjet Engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System was successfully conducted on August 28, 2016 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. After a flight of about 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from the ground stations at Sriharikota. With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated. The Scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser. This test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO’s Scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6. ISRO’s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for the test of Scramjet engines at supersonic conditions.  ATV carrying Scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift-off.

The Epsilon LV is a next-generation solid propellant rocket, which is developed in a Japanese national program led by JAXA. After the completion of the development, it has been positioned as a Japanese flagship LV. It plays a key role in securing Japan’s autonomous capability to launch small satellites for observation and scientific missions. It can also offer effective launch opportunities to small satellites for commercial missions. Epsilon is a highly-reliable vehicle for space transportation fully reflecting Japanese rocket technology long accumulated through many vehicle programs such as a former M-V and currently operated H-IIA/B LV. Epsilon offers user-friendly launch services with newly incorporated technologies, such as next-generation ground support / check-out systems, highly accurate orbit injection system, advanced built-in PL vibration-suppression system, and multi-satellite mounting structure.

The Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award (IYBA), initiated in 2005, is a career-oriented award to identify and nurture outstanding young scientists with innovative ideas and desirous of pursuing research in frontier areas of biotechnology. The awards are conferred to budding scientists below 35 years of age. However, there is a relaxation in age limit upto 5 years in case of women, OBC, SC/ST and for differently-abled candidates. The scheme includes scientists without regular employment also. The award carries a fellowship amount of Rs.1.00 Lakh/annum for candidates who are in permanent faculty position and Rs.75000/- per month for those candidates who are not in regular employment along with a substantial project grant to pursue their innovative ideas at the beginning of their career.

Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), launched the website and mobile application [Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your Innovation] on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) today in New Delhi. The website and app has been developed by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM)-DPIIT in collaboration with Qualcomm and National Law University (NLU), Delhi. The modules of this e-learning platform [L2Pro India IP e-learning Platform and the L2Pro India Mobile App] will aid and enable youth, innovators, entrepreneurs and small and medium industries (SMEs) in understanding IPRs for their ownership and protection, integrate IP into business models and obtain value for their R&D efforts. The L2Pro has been successfully implemented in Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and France, benefiting immensely from close collaboration with respective IP organizations and public research institutions. The learning app has been customized for India in order to ensure that innovation which is fundamental to startups are protected, managed and commercialised.