Eternal India Encyclopedia

encyclopedia Eternal India

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

short NCEPC has been acting as a high-level advisory body to the Government of India.

strap-on motors by four liquid propellant strap-ons derived from the PSLV second stage.

Department of Ocean Development The Department of Ocean Development was set up in 1981 to promote and co-ordinate the efforts for the development of oceanic resources, protection of the marine environment as well as to develop the new emerging area of Antarctic research and deep seabed minings. As a result of pioneering work in the area of deep seabed exploration with special emphasis on the location and processing of polymetallic nodules India was recognised as a pioneer investor in 1982. A mine site of 1,50,000 sq. kms in the central Indian Ocean was allotted by the preparatory commission for the International Seabed Authority in August 1987. An estimated reserve of polymetallic nodules of the area is 380 million tonnes which contain cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese. India is at present totally dependent on import of cobalt, nickel and 60 per cent of copper. Mining of three million tonnes of nodules a year will enable India to become self-sufficient in nickel and surplus in cobalt. Systematic exploration of the seafloor topography and oceano- graphic parameters and biomass distribution in different parts of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the central Indian Ocean was started during 1983-84 using the multipurpose research vessels ORV Sagar Kanya and FORV Sagar Sampada. These two vessels have completed respectively 71 and 96 research cruises up to Feb- ruary 1992 and have done much to stimulate the scientific explora- tion of the oceanic resources and environment of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) besides supporting exploration of deep sea nodules and EEZs of some friendly countries. Antarctic research activities have become a regular feature since 1981-82. The Indian Antarctic programme has provided research opportunities to 780 persons from different institutions and agencies including 570 from the armed forces and 210 scien- tists. It has encouraged development of indigenous technology in specified fields. Defence Research & Development Organisation Set up in 1958 it has been, through its network of 45 laboratories, engaged in defence research. Refer Vol-II Sec H "INFRASTRUCTURE" Department of Biotechnology To promote R&D and manufacturing activities in the area of biotechnology the Government set up the National Biotechnology Board in 1982. In 1986, the Board was replaced by a separate De- partment of Biotechnology (DBT) in the Ministry of Science and Technology. The DBT is trying to promote research in diagnosis of various diseases relevant to India in various R&D laboratories in the country. The collaborating agency is the National Institute of Im- munology, New Delhi. Scientific investigations are being carried out at six institutions viz, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Re- search, Chandigarh, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, S.N. Medical College, Agra, and Institute of Post-Graduate

Major landmarks in Space

April 1975

: Aryabhata, first Indian-designed and fabricated satellite launched from Soviet Union with the help of Soviet rocket.

June 1979 . : Bhaskara I, India's first experimental earth obser- vation satellite launched. July 1980 : Earth observation satellite Rohini launched by SLV-3 launcher. June 1981 : First experimental, three-axis stabilised geosta- tionary telecommunications satellite.

APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment) launched by European Space Agency's Ariane launcher.

Nov 1981

: Bhaskara II launched.

April 1982

: INSAT-IA, first operational three-axis-estab- lished multipurpose applications satellite,

launched. Died a premature death 147 days later. April 1983

: SLV-3-D-2 launched with its own satellite Rohini. : INSAT-IB launched from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. : IRS- IA Remote sensing satellite launched from USSR. : INSAT-IC launched aboard Ariane vehicle, posed problems in 1989. Abandoned. : INSAT-1D launched from Kennedy Space Centre . : IRS-IB. Second remote sensing satellite launched from USSR.

Aug 1983

Mar 1988

July 1988

June 1990

Aug 1991

May 20, 1992 :

ASLV (Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle) successfully launched.

July 10,1992 : First satellite of INSAT -II series launched by Ariane launch vehicle. July 23,1993 : INSAT 2B launched by Ariane rocket at Kourou in French Guyana. June 5,1994 : "Prithvi", short range surface-to-surface missile successfully test fired. Department of Environment In 1972, the National Committee on Environment Planning and Co-ordination (NCEPC) was set up to promote research on envi- ronmental problems. The committee, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, has done valuable work in environmental appraisal of development projects. It has sponsored research in the environ- mental sciences and also in the methodology, besides contributing to the formulation of legislation and creation of general environ- mental awareness. The committee has carried out surveys and studies in diverse fields such as pollution control, management of wet lands, human settlement planning, environmental impact analysis and environmental education. At its instance, high level Environment Boards have already been constituted in all states and Union Territories, except Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. In