IPR, Government Policies and initiatives

A multi-disciplinary technical committee in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has recommended five technologies, specifically three technologies for drinking water and two technologies for sanitation as innovative technologies out of the ten technologies considered by it and these technologies would now be listed in the innovation portal of the department
The technologies include Grundfos AQpure, a solar energy-based water treatment plant based on ultra-filtration, Janajal Water on Wheel, an Internet of Things (IoT) based electric vehicle to deliver safe water to households and Presto Online Chlorinator, a non-electric online chlorinator for disinfection of water for removal of bacterial contamination.
The other two are Johkasou technology, an inbuilt packaged black (sewage) and greywater (kitchen and bath water) treatment system having advanced anaerobic-aerobic configuration that can be installed underground, while FBTec is a site assembled decentralised sewage treatment system using fixed filter media.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is a nationwide initiative that is being is conducted every year since 2017, to provide students a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem solving.

Statement 2 is correct. There are two formats for the Hackathon – SIH Software and SIH Hardware Editions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SIH Software Edition is being conducted in fully ONLINE mode.
Themes for SIH 2020 include Healthcare & Biomedical Devices, Agriculture & Rural Development, Renewable Energy, Food Processing, and Smart Vehicles among etc.

Both statements are correct.
The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) is an innovative technological solution aimed at strengthening immunization supply chain systems across the country. This is being implemented under National Health Mission (NHM) by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

-It digitizes the entire vaccine stock management, their logistics and temperature tracking at all levels of vaccine storage – from national to the sub-district.
-This enables program managers to have real time view of the vaccine stock position and their storage temperature across all the cold chain points providing a detailed overview of the vaccine cold chain logistics system across the entire country.
-eVIN has reached 32 States and Union Territories (UTs) and will soon be rolled-out in the remaining States and UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Ladakh and Sikkim.

Both statements are correct.
Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) is a type of measurement system used to assess the maturity level of a particular technology. Each technology project is evaluated against the parameters for each technology level and is then assigned a TRL rating based on the projects progress.
Originally introduced by NASA, the TRL scale is a metric with nine technology readiness levels for describing the maturity of a technology from ideation stage (TRL1) to highest degree of application/commercial readiness (TRL 9).

Both statements are correct.
The UK government has launched a £3 million Innovation Challenge Fund in India to support scientists in academia and industry to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat to our environment.

The Fund invites tech innovators with connections to the AI-Data cluster in Karnataka and the Future Mobility cluster in Maharashtra to submit research and development proposals for tackling COVID-19 or which promote a greener planet. At least 12 grants up to £250,000 are expected to be awarded.
In April 2018, the Indian and British Prime Ministers announced the formal creation of the UK-India Tech Partnership.

These grants are part of a wider initiative under the Tech Partnership known as ‘Tech Clusters’. Tech Clusters will support the development of Indian Tech Clusters by breaking down barriers to growth, including building international links.

Vigyan Jyoti Scheme is launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
• It is an initiative that will create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
• The programme ‘Vigyan Jyoti’ aims to tap 100 girl students in 550 districts from 2020-2025, the officials said.

Both statements are correct.
AIM (Atal Innovation Mission), in association with CSIRO, is organizing a two-day
hackathon on circular economy, ‘India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE)’ in
collaboration with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO).
I-ACE will focus on identification and development of innovative technology solutions by
bright-minded students, startups and MSMEs of both nations. Shortlisted students and
startups/MSMEs will be called for the hackathon, where two winners (one student and one
startup/MSME) per theme from each country will be awarded

Statement 1 is correct. The Science and Engineering Research Board
(SERB) is a statutory body established through an Act of Parliament, 2008. The mandate is
to supports basic research in emerging areas of Science & Engineering.
Statement 2 is correct. “SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in
Exploratory Research)”, designed exclusively for women scientists was launched recently.
SERB POWER Scheme will have two components namely (i) SERB-POWER Fellowship (ii)
SERB- POWER Research Grants. While a Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted for
the purpose will help in identifying the POWER Fellowship, the existing Programme
Advisory Committee (PAC) mechanism will be used to select the POWER Research Grants.
It is proposed to institute 25 POWER Fellowships annually. A total of 50 Power Grants each
will be sanctioned in Level I & Level II per annum

Statement 1 is correct. The National Initiative for Developing and
Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) is an umbrella programme developed by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship division, Department of Science & Technology for nurturing ideas and
innovations (knowledge-based and technology-driven) into successful startups.
NIDHI has following program components:
-Technology Business Incubator (TBI) – Converting Innovations to start-ups
-Accelerator – Fast tracking a start-up through focused intervention;
-Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS) – Providing early stage investment;
-Centers of Excellence (NIDHI-CoE) – A World class facility to helpstartups go global;
– Promotion and Acceleration of Young and Aspiring technology entrepreneurs (NIDHIPRAYAS)
– Support from Idea to Prototype
-Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR)
Statement 2 is correct. Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIR) Programme under NIDHI
supports aspiring entrepreneur of considerable potential for pursuing a promising
technology business idea over a period up to 18 months with a subsistence grant up to Rs
30000 per month with a maximum cap for total support of Rs 3.6 lakh to each EIR over a
maximum of 18 months.

Both statements are correct.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, recently launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat
ARISE-Atal New India Challenges, to spur applied research and innovation in Indian
MSMEs and startups.
The programme will be driven by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), four
ministries—Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Food Processing Industries; Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare; and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs—and associated
industriesto facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems.
The ARISE–ANIC programme will support deserving applied research–based innovations
by providing funding support of up to Rs 50 lakh for speedy development of the proposed
technology solution and/or product

The India International Science Festival 2020 is being organised by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Ministry of Earth Sciences, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
The sixth edition of this festival will take place from December 22 -25, 2020 with the theme ‘Science for Self-Reliant India and Global Welfare’. It aims to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students and innovators.

India presently has two research stations at Antarctica namely ‘Maitri’ and ‘Bharati’. ‘Bharati’ was established in 2013 and Maitri station has been in operation since 1989. At both the stations, research and investigations are undertaken to understand the Polar processes and phenomenon. Observations and studies are carried out in atmospheric, biological, geological, ecological sciences etc.
At Arctic, meteorological, biological, glaciological and past climate studies are undertaken in the vicinity of the station ‘Himadri’.
# Several people at a Chilean research station in Antarctica have been found infected with the novel coronavirus.

The Government of India will launch STIP 2020, a holistic and pragmatic policy dedicated to Science, technology and most importantly innovation. The policy aims to reorient Science Technology & Innovation (STI) in terms of priorities, sectoral focus and strategies.
Statement 1 is incorrect. A preparatory framework has been developed for the formulation of STIP 2020. This is only the fifth national science, technology, and innovation policy of/for India that follows Science Policy Resolution 1958 (SPR 1958), Technology Policy Statement 1983 (TPS 1983), Science and Technology Policy 2003 (STP 2003) and Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2013 (STIP 2013).
Statement 2 is correct. STIP2020 formulation process is being facilitated jointly by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (Office of PSA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

With the objectives of boosting transparency and accountability while ensuring ease of living for the citizens, the Directorate of Estates, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched a new Web Portal and Mobile App, e-Sampada.
The new application provides a single window for all these services including allotment for over one lakh government residential accommodations, office space allotment to government organisations.
It aims to boost transparency and accountability in providing various Estate Services like allotment, retention, regularisation, no dues certificate etc.
He further said that E-Sampada is developed to simplify processes and bring uniformity in the system across India. This will promote ease of living for Government of India officers / Departments as all services can be availed online on a single window with a live tracking of applications.

One of the most notable developments in the S&T sector in the XI Plan has been the setting up of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) through an Act of Parliament, viz. the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.

 Promoting basic research in Science and Engineering and to provide financial assistance to persons engaged in such research, academic institutions, research and development laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto are the primary and distinctive mandate of the Board.

 SERB aims to build up best management systems which would match the best global practices in the area of promotion and funding of basic research.

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.

EChO Network, a national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India with the specific focus of increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment.

 India faces unprecedented threats to its human environmental and ecosystems, solving which requires a confluence of India’s strong technological expertise and knowledge of the natural world itself.

 EChO Network would develop a national network to catalyse a new generation of Indians who can synthesize interdisciplinary concepts and tackle real-world problems in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and technology.

 With no precedent for such a network anywhere in the world, EChO Network establishes a new platform to change how science is embedded in our modern society.

 Through interactive sessions with citizens, industry, academia, and the government, the Network will identify gaps in knowledge regarding selected topics in human and environmental ecosystems.

 The program will then train postdoctoral leaders in research and outreach on these topics, while also incorporating current public and private efforts into a national network.

 It would then go on to establishing nation-wide awareness in these issues through public discourse and education for citizens, industry, and government with information exchange at all educational levels.

 Over time EChO Network intends to create an international distributed institute comprising individuals housed within industry, government, private, and academic sectors, combining their expertise and resources collectively to tackle large scale problems.

A Bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program has commenced between the Indian Patent Office (IPO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a set of initiatives for providing accelerated patent prosecution procedures by sharing information between some patent offices.

The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) owes its origin to the

foresight and initiative of two British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and

Professor P.S. MacMahon.

• It occurred to them that scientific research in India might be stimulated if an annual

meeting of research workers somewhat on the lines of the British Association for the

Advancement of Science could be arranged.

• The first meeting of the Congress was held from January 15-17, 1914 at the

premises of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, with the Honourable Justice Sir Asutosh

Mukherjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University, as President.

• One hundred and five scientists from different parts of India and abroad attended

and the papers numbering 35 were divided into six sections-Botany, Chemistry,

Ethnography, Geology, Physics, Zoology under six Sectional Presidents.

• Indian Science Congress is organised by the Indian Science Congress Association

every year in the first week of January.