• INST scientists find low-cost metal-free nanomaterial

Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), have found a low-cost metal-free nanomaterial for visible light microbial disinfection which can be an alternative to silver and other metal-based materials. The team has suggested it to be a viable anti-bacterial alternative to metal/non-metal semiconductors and expensive silver, thus making it cost-effective.

• Chemical & Petrochemicals industry becomes the top exporting segment for the first time

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri, DV Sadananda Gowda has congratulated the chemicals and petrochemicals industry on becoming the top exporting sector of the country for the first time. He has assured them full support towards making India a leading global hub for manufacturing chemicals and petrochemicals supply quality chemicals to the world.  Referring to the important role played by his Department in this achievement, Shri Gowda said, in a tweet, ‘‘Continuous efforts made by my Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals have enabled the industry to become the topmost exporting segment for the first time.” He informed that during April 2019-January 2020, the export of chemicals grew by 7.43% over previous corresponding period. Total export of chemicals during this period reached Rs 2.68 Lakh Crore. This constitutes 14.35% of the total exports.

• CSIR delivers immediate relief by providing hand sanitizers, soaps and disinfectants

Several CSIR laboratories spread throughout different parts of the country kicked off efforts to provide immediate and effective relief to the country’s citizens by manufacturing and distributing hand sanitisers and disinfectants. So far, about 50,000 litres of hand sanitisers and disinfectants have been produced within the laboratories of the CSIR and distributed among more than 100,000 people belonging to various sections of the society. Besides, the laboratories also networked with local administration to distribute sanitisers and disinfectants among personnel belonging to the police force, municipal corporations, electricity supply undertakings, medical colleges, hospitals, panchayats, and banks and several others· CSIR laboratories have developed effective, safe and affordable sanitisers and disinfectants from locally available raw materials. For instance, scientists at the CSIR-IHBT based in Palampur, HP, have developed hand sanitiser as per the WHO guidelines, but also contains active tea ingredients, natural flavours and alcohol; chemicals like parabens, synthetic fragrance, triclosan and phthalates have not been used in the sanitiser. In the South of the country, CSIR-IICT standardized the process for the preparation of alcohol-based hand sanitising gel and 800 litres of which was distributed among Telangana Police and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation workers. Further, CSIR-CLRI, Chennai and in Karaikudi, CSIR-CECRI distributed hundreds of litres of sanitisers among the district administration, Municipal Corporation, medical colleges, police station and panchayats. In Lucknow, several CSIR labs have been very active and CSIR-IITR, Lucknow distributed 2800 litres of hand sanitisers manufactured by it among people in the essential services. The Institute handed over sanitiser units to the district administration, State Mission of Clean Ganga (SMCG), electricity supply undertaking, police administration, district hospital and medical college. CSIR-NBRI also transferred herbal alcohol-based hand sanitiser technologies to two entrepreneurs for large-scale production. It has also distributed more than 1500 litres of sanitisers to health workers, sanitation staff and police personnel in different zones of Lucknow. CSIR-CIMAP also based in Lucknow prepared in its pilot facility and handed over 1000 bottles of its hand sanitiser (Hankool), 1000 bottles of floor disinfectant (Swabee) and 50 litres of floor cleaner (Clean germ) to the Lucknow Nagar Nigam and District Magistrate for distribution. In the North-east, CSIR-NEIST, distributed around 1300 litres of hand sanitisers to Air Force Station in Jorhat, among personnel of the District Administration, Jorhat Railway Station and Police Station, staff of ONGC and FCI, Municipal Corporation in Imphal and also among people of the villages nearby. In Jammu, the CSIR-IIIM distributed 1800 litres of hand sanitisers among staff of the government medical colleges, Air Force Station and Indian Army. CSIR-IIP, Dehradun supplied around 1000 litres of sanitisers to the Doon Hospital, the Police Department, and the State Disaster Relief Force. In the West, Scientists from CSIR-CSMCRI, Bhavnagar have supplied sanitizers to Bhavnagar Medical College (BMC). CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar is also working on an alcohol-based liquid hand-rub with plant extracts exhibiting aromatic and anti-infective activity and also working on a process for preparation of affordable soap bars with anti-infective property by using cold process of soap making. With the demand for soap rising as a protective measure against the highly contagious Coronavirus, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur has also developed herbal soaps with natural saponins. The composition does not contain any mineral oil, SLES (Sodium laurethsulphate) and SDS (Sodium dodecyl sulphate) and provides effective antifungal, antibacterial, cleansing and moisturising benefits. The technology has been transferred to two Himachal Pradesh based companies for commercial production and making available in major cities across the country.

• NTPC launches hydrogen fuel bus and car project for Leh and New Delhi

NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power producer and a central PSU under Ministry of Power, has invited Global Expression of Interest (EoI) to provide 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based electric buses and an equal number of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based electric cars in Leh and Delhi.  The EoI has been issued by NTPC’s wholly owned subsidiary, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited. The move to procure Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles is first of its kind project in the country, wherein a complete solution from green energy to the fuel cell vehicle would be developed. The initiative, which has been undertaken with support of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, will also harness renewable energy for generation of hydrogen and develop its storage and dispensation facilities as part of pilot projects at Leh and Delhi. The move to launch hydrogen powered vehicles aims at decarbonizing mobility segment.  The PSU has been taking various technology initiatives to provide complete e-Mobility solution for public transport including creation of public charging infrastructure and providing electric buses to State/City Transport Undertakings.  In this regard, 90 public charging stations in various cities and battery charging and swapping station at Faridabad for e-3-wheelers have already been commissioned. Similarly, e-Bus solution for Andaman & Nicobar Administration is under implementation.

• Essential and medical cargo delivered across the country under Lifeline Udan

‘Lifeline Udan’ flights are being operated by MoCA to transport essential medical cargo to remote parts of the country to support India’s war against COVID-19. 383 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private carriers. 223 of these flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. Cargo transported till date is around 684.08 tons.  Aerial distance covered by Lifeline Udan flights till date is over 3,76,952 km. Pawan Hans till 25 April 2020 have carried 1.99 tons of cargo covering a distance of 6,885kms.  Helicopter services including Pawan Hans Ltd. have been operating in J&K, Ladakh, Islands and North East region transporting critical medical cargo and patients. Special focus has been on the North East Region, island territories and the hill states. Air India and IAF collaborated primarily for J&K, Ladakh, North-East and other    island regions. Domestic Cargo Operators SpiceJet, Blue Dart and Indigo are operating cargo flights on a commercial basis. Spicejet operated 579 cargo flights during 24 March to 25 April 2020 covering a distance of 10,12,586 km and carrying 4246 tons of cargo. Out of these, 208 were international cargo flights. Blue Dart operated 207 cargo flights covering a distance of 2,19,978 km and carrying 3,399tons of cargo during 25 March to 25 April 2020. Out of these, 9 were international cargo flights. Indigo has operated 48 cargo flights during 3-25 April 2020 covering a distance of 72,222 km and carrying around 167tons of cargo and including 15 international flights.  This also includes medical supplies carried free of cost for the government. Vistara has operated 12 cargo flights during 19-25 April 2020 covering a distance of 16,952 km and carrying around 82tons of cargo. In international sector, a cargo air-bridge was established with East Asia for transportation of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and Covid-19 relief material. The quantity of medical cargo brought in by Air India is 554 tons till 25th April 2020. In addition to the above, Blue Dart has uplifted around 90 tons of medical supplies from Guangzhou starting 14 April up to 25 April 2020. Blue Dart has also uplifted 5 tons of medical cargo from Shanghai on 25 April 2020. Spicejet has also uplifted 124 tons of medical supplies from Shanghai up to 25 April 2020 and 13 tons medical supplies from Hong Kong and Singapore up to 25 April 2020.

• Start-ups against COVID19 in India

‘Atal Innovation Mission’ is NITI Aayog’s endeavour to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in schools, colleges and society at large. Peptris Technologies are developing AI/ML based computational platform to accelerate the process of finding novel drugs.

• IIT Bombay develops low-cost mechanical ventilator ‘Ruhdaar’

A team of engineering students from IIT Bombay, NIT Srinagar and Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir have come up with a low-cost ventilator using locally available materials. According to the Health Ministry, among those getting infected, around 80% will experience only mild illness, around 15% will need oxygen support and the remaining 5% who get critical or severe will need ventilators.

• UV Lights to be used for disinfection

International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India and University of Hyderabad (UoH) together with the help of Mekins Industries Ltd. (MIL),   have developed a UVC based disinfection trolley to fight against COVID-19 by rapid cleaning of hospital environment. UV light in the range of wavelengths between 200 and 300 nm is capable of inactivating microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, thus disinfecting both air and solid surfaces. Often, chemical disinfectants are not enough to remove the bacteria and viruses found in hospitals and other contamination prone environment. Rapid decontamination of the used patient-care beds and hospital rooms before admission of subsequent occupants is a major requirement in hospitals in view of the limited availability of beds. Coronavirus is sensitive to UVC light, as in the case of other viruses and bacteria. The germicidal effects of UVC irradiation with a peak intensity at 254 nm results in cellular damage of the virus, thereby inhibiting cellular replication. Unlike chemical approaches to disinfection, UV light provides rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms through a physical process.

• COVID19 current update in India

• Quiz Time
• When is World Intellectual Property Day Celebrated?
  • 25 April
  • 23 May
  • 22 April
  • 24 April

Answer: A

• Which sector during January 2019-20, has become the top exporting sector for India?
  • Food
  • Manufactured Articles
  • Chemicals & Petrochemicals
  • None

Answer: C

• In which of the following cities has NTPC decided to launch Hydrogen fuel electric Bus?
  • Bengaluru
  • Hyderabad
  • Chandigarh
  • Leh

Answer: D