5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.

5G has huge transformational potential across industries with its services-based, cloud-native architecture and higher-frequency bands that enable a greater amount of data to be transmitted in real time.

Why 5G technology is significant?

• The high-speed 5G technology will transmit data at least 10 times faster than the current 4G system. This is going to be a significant step towards revolutionizing the tech world in the near future.

• 5G also uses shorter wavelengths, which means that antennas can be much smaller than existing antennas while still providing precise directional control. We’ll be able to beam ultra-fast data to a lot more users, with high precision and little latency.

• High speed and minimal delay offered by the network will promote digital wallet transactions.

• Inter connectivity between smart devices will become extremely efficient and real-time, thereby enhancing the standard of living for urban people.

• The introduction of 5G technology will increase the role of automation in company operations. This takes India one step closer to technological advancements such as driver less cars, commercial use of augmented reality, new manufacturing units, and eventually, a balance between human and machine-driven workforce.

• Applications such as tele-medicine, tele-education, augmented/virtual reality, drone-based agricultural monitoring, etc. will give much needed impetus to the economy.

• 5G enables Internet of Things (IoT) to commercially combine with large-scale industries such as shipping, manufacturing, health, logistics, etc. IoT based machines will foster increased efficiency and scalable operations thereby improving cost-benefit ratio for the company and opportunities for introducing new products in the market.

The process of conducting 5G Trials has begun in India. Telecom service providers have been asked to conduct 5G trials in rural & semi-urban areas as well. 5G technology is expected to deliver greater spectrum efficiency and better download speeds. A global telecom industry body expects India to have 920 million unique mobile subscribers by 2025, which will include 88 million 5G connections.

Challenges in adoption of 5G technology in India:

• There is little domestic R&D on 5g technology.

• Fast internet also increases the vulnerability of cyber systems and the dangers of data theft.

• 5G will not bridge the digital divide among the rural and urban areas in the short term, rather increase it as the business case of 5G even in urban areas does not have maximum accessibility.

• Affordability may be an issue. The country’s 5G ecosystem is underdeveloped and cost of spectrum is exorbitant. Moving to 5G will also require upgrading the infrastructure which will add to the cost. From the consumer point of view, not many 5G devices are available in India and the country does not have domestic capacity or capability to develop such at this point of time.

Making India 5G Ready-Report of the 5G High Level Forum

Way forward with 5G Technology in India:

• 5G can be deployed at different band spectrum and at the low band spectrum, the range is much longer which is helpful for the rural areas.

• Government support would be required indigenous technology to upgrade the existing infrastructure to 5G standards.

• As 5G starts taking shape in India, it is important to strengthen its domestic telecommunication manufacturing market so that it is not only the users of 5G in India, but also the manufacturers and providers of these technologies who will be able to make a mark in the global arena

5G Technology is expected to usher a new era in the technology sector. The ultimate goal is to shift to a technology that facilitates requirements of both the rural and urban areas and India has a long way to go.

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Where the internet has transformed the way we interact and conduct business, it has also, created boundless opportunities for hackers to conduct Cyber attacks. Cyber attacks are one of the defining security threats of our age and Cyber security a growing priority for business and governments alike.

Cybersecurity or information technology security is the protection of computer systems and networks from the theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

In these challenging times, the unprecedented reliance on ICTs to drive society, economy and industry, makes it more important than ever before to secure cyberspace and build confidence among users. While some nations have made important strides in Cybersecurity, others have not made as much progress.

According to the latest report released by United Nations in 2020, India now ranks 10^th in the Global Security Index (GCI). The US topped (1st), followed by the UK (United Kingdom) and Saudi Arabia tied on the second position together. India scored a total of 97.5 points from a possible maximum of 100 points, to make it to the tenth position worldwide and fourth position in the Asia Pacific region. South Korea and Singapore are on top with a score of 98.52, which ranks fourth globally. Other countries at the top of the index include Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia (98.06) at fifth place, Lithuania at sixth, Japan at seventh and Canada, France and India at the subsequent positions.

The GCI is a composite index created, analyzed and published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, to measure the commitment to Cybersecurity of its 194 member countries to raise Cybersecurity awareness.

India is emerging as a global IT superpower, asserting its digital sovereignty with firm measures to safeguard data privacy and online rights of citizens. Several efforts made in this direction include:

• Formulation of National Cyber Security Strategy 2020 – a framework is being readied to improve Cyber awareness and Cyber Security through stringent audits.

• Personal Data Protection Bill 2018, based on recommendation of Justice B. N. Srikrishna Comittee, to secure citizen’s data.

• National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), a nodal agency was instituted for coordination of all cyber security efforts, emergency responses, and crisis management.

• National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) was setup for Protection and resilience of critical information infrastructure.

Challenges to Cyber Security In India:

• India lacks indigenization in hardware as well as software cybersecurity tools. This makes India’s cyberspace vulnerable to cyber attacks motivated by state and non-state actors.

• India doesn’t have an ‘active cyber defense’ like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the US’ Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act.

Growing reliance on digital solutions necessitates ever stronger, yet also accessible and user-friendly, data protection measures. Amid interconnected commerce and communication, cybersecurity risks are increasingly border less, with no single entity or stakeholder able to guarantee the security of the global cyber ecosystem.

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National Education Policy (NEP) is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country.

In July 2020, Union Cabinet cleared a new National Education Policy (NEP). The latest policy is India’s third. The first came in 1968 and the second in 1986. The latest policy replaces the 1986 NEP which was in place for 34 years. The NEP 2020 aims at making India a Global Knowledge Superpower.

The new NEP proposes sweeping changes including opening up of Indian higher education to foreign universities, dismantling of the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), introduction of a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate programme with multiple exit options, and discontinuation of the M Phil programme.

In school education, the policy focuses on overhauling the curriculum, “easier” Board exams, a reduction in the syllabus to retain “core essentials” and thrust on “experiential learning and critical thinking”.

In a significant shift from the 1986 policy, which pushed for a 10+2 structure of school education, the new NEP pitches for a “5+3+3+4” design corresponding to the age groups 3-8 years (foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14 (middle), and 14-18 (secondary). This brings early childhood education (also known as pre-school education for children of ages 3 to 5) under the ambit of formal schooling.

The NEP says students until Class 5 should be taught in their mother tongue or regional language. The policy also proposes phasing out of all institutions offering single streams and that all universities and colleges must aim to become multidisciplinary by 2040.

Key highlights of the NEP 2020:

School Education:

• The current 10+2 system to be replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively.

• Bring the uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child.

• Class 10 and 12 board examinations to be made easier, to test core competencies rather than memorized facts, with all students allowed to take the exam twice.

• School governance is set to change, with a new accreditation framework and an independent authority to regulate both public and private schools.

• Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships.

• Teaching up to at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/regional language. No language will be imposed on any student.

• Assessment reforms with 360 degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes

Higher Education:

• Holistic Undergraduate education with a flexible curriculum can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.

• Holistic Undergraduate education with a flexible curriculum can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.

• M.Phil courses will be discontinued and all the courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level will now be interdisciplinary.

• Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate Transfer of Credits.

• Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

• The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

• Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education.

Other Changes:

• An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.

• National Assessment Centre- ‘PARAKH’ has been created to assess the students.

• It also paves the way for foreign universities to set up campuses in India.

• It emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

• National Institute for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation to be set up.

• It also aims to increase the public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest. Currently India spends around 4.6% of its total GDP on education.

Merits of National Education Policy 2020:

• Comprehensive: NEP seeks to address the entire gamut of education from preschool to doctoral studies, and from professional degrees to vocational training.

• Early Childhood Education: In adopting a 5+3+3+4 model for school education starting at age 3, the New education Policy recognizes the primacy of the formative years from ages 3 to 8 in shaping the child’s future

• Easy on Regulations: NEP 2020 makes a bold prescription to free our schools, colleges and universities from periodic “inspections” and place them on the path of self-assessment and voluntary declaration

• Holistic: The policy, inter alia, aims to eliminate problems of pedagogy, structural inequities, access asymmetries and rampant commercialization.

• Promote Inclusion: The Policy proposes the creation of ‘inclusion funds’ to help socially and educationally disadvantaged children pursue education

Challenges to National Education Policy 2020:

Cooperation from States: Any educational reform can be implemented only with support from the States, and the Centre has the giant task of building a consensus on the many ambitious plans The idea of a National Higher Education Regulatory Council as an apex control organisation is bound to be resented by States.

Inadequate check on donations: Fee regulations exist in some States even now, but the regulatory process is unable to rein in profiteering in the form of unaccounted donations.

Funding: Progress on these crucially depends on the will to spend the promised 6% of GDP as public expenditure on education.

Way Forward:

The NEP only provides a broad direction and is not mandatory to follow. Since education is a concurrent subject (both the Centre and the state governments can make laws on it), the reforms proposed can only be implemented collaboratively by the Centre and the states. This will not happen immediately. The incumbent government has set a target of 2040 to implement the entire policy.

NEP 2020 is a progressive shift towards a more scientific approach to education. The prescribed structure will help to cater the ability of the child – stages of cognitive development as well as social and physical awareness. If implemented in its true vision, the new structure can bring India at par with the leading countries of the world.

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Digital  transformation,  with  its  many  associated  technologies,  is  arguably  the  most  pervasive  and  rapid  transformation  that  human  society  has  seen. Nearly   every   aspect   of   human   society,   industry,   organization,  economy  and  politics  has  been  or  is  being  transformed  by  it. The   effects   of   digitization   are   felt   at   all   levels,   from   individuals, communities, societies to nation states. Governments, industry and civil society are all seeking to understand the impacts of this transformation.

Different ways the Digital Revolution has impacted Human well-being include, but not limited to are:

Human Development

Digital technologies likely affect aspects of human activity and behaviour that have been shown to be fundamental to human development, such as the way children are parented or the way they learn.

Mental Health

Most developed countries are facing a  growing  mental  health  burden  reaching  crisis  proportions and emerging disproportionately in young people. It may be due in part to significant demographic changes and the changing social context in which we live,  where  expectations  may  not  meet  reality;  the  pace  of  life  has  increased  Many of these issues seem to be directly or indirectly related to the impacts of digitalisation on individuals, the economy and society.

Societal Changes

Whereas the digital drivers of mental illness tend to operate at an individual level, there is equal concern about the impacts of the transformation on various collective groupings that can  form  within  societies  and  affect  social    Social  media  has  helped  new  groups  and  communities  of  interest  to  form  and  grow,  but  it  has  also  enabled  more  polarised and entrenched views to take root, and among the groups that form are anti-social ones that take advantage of the dark web to build new collectives based on violent, anti-social,  morally  objectionable  or  illegal  behaviours.

Security

Whether for  individuals  or  groups,  one  emergent  issue  of  personal  and  public  security  relates to the increasing potential for real and immediate impacts from various forms of virtual,  online  and  remote  surveillance.  For  instance,  on  one  hand  the concept of surveillance of public spaces may make people feel safer, but in practice is it also limiting personal freedom? Cyberbullying, and misuse of social media increasingly can polarize and fragment societies and threaten our sense of well being, especially if they spill over into real-world actions. Cyber Security has become significant aspect of security at all – national, organizational and individual level.  Mobile Apps are the latest threat to security at individual level

Governance

The concept of governance includes democratic processes (e.g. public representation, electoral integrity, trusted public institutions, independent and reliable 4th estate) as well as fair and just delivery of government core services. While these two meanings of  governance  must  be  distinguished,  they  nonetheless  both  affect  well being  and are themselves affected by the impact of digital technologies. Cyber Security has become part of National Security. Cyber Security and its Present Status in India

While there have been huge benefits to society from the digital revolution, especially in terms of the accessibility of information, there are a number of concerns. Expanded powers of communication and information sharing, increased capabilities for existing technologies, and the advent of new technology brought with it many potential opportunities for exploitation.

Check out other important topics in our dedicated Current Affairs Section.

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The journey which started humble & now after achievements like PSLV, GSLV, Cryo engines, MOM, Moon & now a moon lander has put India in the league of handful of countries who can boast of possessing such technology.

India’s Space journey started when ISRO built India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1975. Five years later, Rohini became the first satellite to be placed into orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle, SLV-3. In 1992, ISRO launched Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) & Insat – 2A.

In the last decade the Indian space program leap frogged to break several world records and position India as a country with formidable space technology which is cutting edge as well as cheap. Some of these achievements include:

• In 2008, ISRO sent an unmanned lunar orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, into orbit. The spacecraft was orbiting around the Moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.
• India launched Mars Orbiter Mission on 5 November 2013 and entered Mars’ orbit on 24 September, 2014, making India the first nation to succeed on its maiden attempt to Mars.
• On 15 February 2017, ISRO launched 104 satellites in a single rocket (PSLV-C37), a world record. ISRO launched its heaviest rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III)
• On 5 June, 2017 and placed a communications satellite GSAT-19 into the orbit. ISRO successfully launched GSAT-29 satellite from Sriharikota, the heaviest satellite weighing at 3,423 kg aims at providing better communication for remote areas of country.
• On November 14, 2018 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched a communication satellite GSAT-29 on its rocket GSLV-Mk-III D2 from Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota.

For any developing country the space program is important for two reasons; first, tangible benefits to society and its people. Second, these space programs often are tied to the country’s broader development objectives, including building a national science and technology base. India’s space program has contributed to the country’s economic growth, supported beneficial societal applications, and helped to build broader scientific and technical capacities  and  infrastructure.

The programmes/ missions drawn up and proposed by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the socio-economic development of the country include

1. Earth Observation programme for natural resources inventory and management (like agriculture, land and water resources, fisheries), near real time disaster management support, weather forecasting, smart governance;
2. Satellite Communication programmes for telecommunication, television broadcasting, Direct-to-Home services, search and rescue, tele-education, telemedicine and
3. Satellite Navigation programme for location based services.

India has not only used its space program to develop the country but the region. India launched a communication satellite in 2017 known as SAARC satellite for use of all members of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The South Asia Satellite provides crucial information on tele-medicine, tele-education, banking and television broadcasting opportunities. It is also equipped with remote sensing state of the art technology which enables collection of real-time weather data and helps in observations of the geology of the South Asian nations.

Where the advancement in space and rocket technology has helped India strengthen its defence, India’s space program has primarily been driven for the development of the country and region.

Smartphones are attacked exploiting their vulnerabilities that are from SMS, MMS, Wi-fi networks and GSM communication networks, their operating systems or even by the ignorance of average users about these topics. The main purposes of the mobile threats are to interrupt the correct operating of the device, transmission or modifications of user data, send spam messages, etc.

The attackers have three primordial objectives:

1. the data, just like credit card numbers, authentication data, private data, calendars, contact list and other sensitive information;
2. the identity, each smartphone is customized and in consequence is associated with a specific person, and if the attacker intercepts the related information with the owner of the device can steal his identity to commit some fraudulent act;
3. the availability, it consist on limit or deny the user access to his own device.

From accessing the microphone, camera, and location of a user’s device, to building convincing app clones — there are many strategies hackers employ to gain access to, and exploit, personal information of unsuspecting mobile app users.

Application-based threats happen when people download apps that look legit but actually skim data from their device. These may look fine on a download site but be specifically designed to commit fraud, or could be designed for normal use but containing unintended security vulnerabilities.

1. Malware: Is a software (in this case an app) that performs malicious actions while installed on your smartphone, that attempt to make changes on your phone bill, send malicious messages to your contact list, or given to the attacker control over your mobile smartphone device without your knowledge.
2. Spyware: Software designed to collect or use private data without the knowledge or approval of the user. The common data targeted by the spywares includes phone call histories, text messages, contact list, browser history, user location, private photo and all the information that could be useful for the attacker to commit a financial fraud or an identity theft.
3. Privacy Threats: This can be caused for apps that are not properly malicious but use sensitive information as location, contact list, personal information that is necessary to perform their function.
4. Vulnerable applications: They are not as malicious as other apps, but contain flaws which can be exploited for malicious purposes (download apps without our permission, access to sensibility information, perform undesirable actions, etc.)

For this kind of threats, one popular trick is to create a mobile app that looks like a more popular program, and bundle that fake app with malicious software. Android devices in particular, offer many options for apps download and installations, and can opt to install third-party apps that could be malicious. So, we have to be very careful about the apps that we are downloading, to make sure that all are genuine. Some info that could be helpful for us is to check the number of users that have downloaded the mobile app, the positive comments that it has, written description, and a link to the developer’s website.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a computer system which learns from the experiences it encounters. It can adjust on its own to new inputs, allowing it to perform tasks in a way that is similar to what a human would do. Computer systems with increasing levels of data being processed, improved storage capabilities, and the development of advanced algorithms, can now mimic human reasoning. This is called Artificial Intelligence or AI. The term was first defined in 1956.

The concept of artificial intelligence is that computer systems can be used to perform tasks that would normally require a human. These can range from speech recognition and translation into different languages, all the way through to visual perception and even decision making. Broadly speaking, anything can be considered artificial intelligence if it involves a program doing something that we would normally think would rely on the intelligence of a human. Computer assistants like ‘Siri’ and ‘Alexa’ are good examples of such systems.

With technology integrated with AI rapidly becoming a part of our everyday life, AI has also become a topic of debate and discussions where some think it is a blessing and others believe it is a disaster or will lead humans to one eventually. Both sides have their arguments. Given below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence:

Advantages of Artificial Intelligence:

• Less room for errors – Decisions taken by a machine are based on previous records of data and the set of algorithms, the chances of errors reduce. This is an achievement, as solving complex problems that require difficult calculation, can be done without any scope of error.
• Right Decision Making – The complete absence of emotions from a machine makes it more efficient as they are able to take the right decisions in a short span of time.
• Implementing AI in Risky Situations – Certain situations where human safety is vulnerable, machines that are fitted with predefined algorithms can be used. Nowadays, scientists are making use of complex machines to study the ocean floor where human survival becomes difficult. This is one of the biggest limitations that AI helps to overcome.
• Can work continuously – Unlike humans, machine does not get tired, even if it has to work for consecutive hours. This is a major benefit over the humans, who need rest time to time to be efficient. Also, their efficiency is not affected by any external factor and it does not get in the way of continuous work.

Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence:

• Expensive to implement – AI is and expensive technology to implement, maintain and repair. Only the bigger or affluent businesses can take advantage of AI at this time.
• Dependency on Machines – Use of AI increases the dependency of humans on machines. We are heading into times when it becomes difficult for humans to work without the assistance of a machine. It is believed that with increase in dependency on machines, mental and thinking abilities of humans will actually decrease over time.
• Displace Low Skilled Jobs – AI will displace many low skilled jobs. As machines can work 24×7 with no break, industries prefer investing in machines as compared to humans. This may lead to large scale unemployment.
• Restricted Work – AI machines are programmed to do certain tasks based on what they are trained and programmed to do. They may be unable to think out of the box or quickly adapt to new environments because their thinking zone is restricted to only the algorithms that they have been trained for.

What do you think about the future of artificial intelligence? Let us know in the comments below!

Data localisation is the practice of storing data on any device that is physically present within the borders of the country where the data is generated. As of now, most of these data are stored, in a cloud, outside India. Localisation mandates that companies collecting critical data about consumers must store and process them within the borders of the country.

Many countries across the world have implemented or are in the process of implementing data localisation laws to protect their citizen’s privacy and data. European Union’s data protection regime puts limits on cross-border data flows to countries that don’t have data protection laws. Some of these countries are China, United States, Brazil, Indonesia and Russia.

In India the process started when Data Protection Bill 2018 was introduced in the parliament. According to the Indian law now, the right to privacy is a fundamental right which necessitates protection of personal data as an essential facet of informational privacy. The bill calls for establishment of a Data Protection Authority to take steps to protect interests of individuals, prevent misuse of personal data and to lay down norms for cross-border transfer of personal data. The Central Government shall notify categories of personal data as critical personal data that shall only be processed in a server or data centre located in India.

Following this, RBI gave October 15 as the deadline for global financial technology companies to comply with its data localization norms in India and to store transaction data of Indian customers within India.In a circular in April 2018, RBI had said that all system providers shall ensure that the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India.

Advantages of Data Localization

• Data localization ensures security of citizen’s data and provides data privacy and sovereignty from foreign surveillance. It is necessary to prevent data braches like when Facebook shared its user data with Cambridge Analytica.
• Data Localization will provide Indian Law enforcement easy supervisory access. This will help the law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate crimes and threats to national security.
• In case of dispute or misappropriation, it will give local governments and regulators the jurisdiction to call for the data when required.
• Data warehousing is a huge business and will help boost data centre industry in India and provide employment.
• Data localization will ensure greater accountability from tech giants like Google and Facebook, especially about the end use of the data collected.
• It will minimize the conflict of jurisdiction due to cross border data sharing and ensure delivery of justice in the cases arising out of data breach and privacy suits.

Challenges of Data Localization

• Setting up and maintaining Data Centres is an technology intensive and expensive business. It significantly increases the operational costs of the companies.
• Data Centres require efficient data collection and management systems which are either not available in India or are very expensive.
• Forced data localization may impact both users and businesses by increases the cost of services for the consumers and business operations for the companies respectively.
• If every country follows such protectionist policy, it may hamper the connectivity and transparency provided by the internet revolution. Also, even if the data is stored in the country, national agencies may not have access to the encryption keys used.

There is need to have an integrated long-term strategy for policy creation for data localisation. Adequate infrastructure and adequate attention need to be given to the interests of India’s Information Technology enabled Services (ITeS) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industries, which are thriving on cross border data flow.

The blockchain is an undeniably ingenious invention – the brainchild of a person or group of people known by the pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto. But since then, it has evolved into something greater.

Simply put, BlockChain is an encrypted, distributed database that records data. BlockChain is a growing number of records, which are linked using Cryptography. It is an entirely new way of documenting data on the internet. The information recorded on a blockchain can take on any form, whether it be denoting a transfer of money, ownership, a transaction, someone’s identity, an agreement between two parties, or even how much electricity a lightbulb has used.

A blockchain is, in the simplest of terms, a time-stamped series of immutable record of data that is managed by cluster of computers not owned by any single entity. Each of these blocks of data (i.e. block) are secured and bound to each other using cryptographic principles (i.e. chain).

Rather than keeping information in one central point, as is done by traditional recording methods, multiple copies of the same data are stored in different locations and on different devices on the network, such as computers or printers. This is known as a peer to peer (P2P) network. This means that even if one point of storage is damaged or lost, multiple copies remain safe and secure elsewhere. Similarly, if one piece of information is changed without the agreement of the rightful owners, there are countless other examples in existence, where the information is true, making the false record obsolete.

By allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the backbone of a new type of internet. Originally devised for the digital currency, Bitcoin, (Buy Bitcoin) the tech community has now found other potential uses for the technology.

A blockchain carries no transaction cost. (An infrastructure cost yes, but no transaction cost.) The blockchain is a simple yet ingenious way of passing information from A to B in a fully automated and safe manner. One party to a transaction initiates the process by creating a block. This block is verified by thousands, perhaps millions of computers distributed around the net. The verified block is added to a chain, which is stored across the net, creating not just a unique record, but a unique record with a unique history. Falsifying a single record would mean falsifying the entire chain in millions of instances. That is virtually impossible. Bitcoin uses this model for monetary transactions, but it can be deployed in many others ways.

Potential Uses of Blockchain Technology

To be accepted on a broad scale, new technologies must deliver advantages greater than existing systems and processes. Potential benefits can include lower costs, faster execution, more reliable data, better security, ease of use, scalability, or a combination of these.

The following industries are especially likely to feel the impact of the adoption of blockchain technology.

• Financial Services – new blockchain-based system that would significantly reduce the number of parties needed to verify global payments, cutting transaction times from weeks to hours.
• Cyber Security – Adopting blockchain technology would reduce conventional cybersecurity risks by lessening the threat of hacking, corruption, and human error.
• Real Estate – The real estate industry uses outdated technology and processes, often relying on paper records to register land and property ownership. The entire process of transferring and verifying ownership is costly, non-transparent, arduous, and prone to fraud. Blockchain technology is likely to replace costly intermediaries such as title companies, lawyers, and agents with smart contracts and automatic verification of property ownership based on blockchain records.
• Global Losgistics and Shipping – With worldwide markets, the movement of goods across borders and long distances involves as many as 30 different parties — including carriers, terminals, forwarders, haulers, drivers, and shippers — requiring hundreds of email, phone, and fax interactions. Blockchain technology can reduce costs and increase efficiency by simplifying this process.
• Pharmaceuticals -The supply chain in the pharmaceutical industry is complex, with drugs passing from manufacturers to distributors, repackagers, and wholesalers before reaching the retailer and customer. There is little to no visibility throughout this supply chain to track authenticity. Companies are working with blockchain technology to bring integrity, traceability, and transparency to the global supply chain.
• Healthcare – medical blockchain solutions have “the potential to connect fragmented systems to generate insights and to better assess the value of care. In the long term, a nationwide blockchain network for electronic medical records may improve efficiencies and support better health outcomes for patients.”
• Public services – Blockchain technology will allow governments to deliver citizen services more effectively, thus increasing trust and goodwill and providing savings. blockchain-based solutions will give [anyone] the ability — without having to wait in line at the motor vehicle department or any similar place — to automatically do a transaction with the government, yet still have complete trust that the government certified that transaction.
• Charity and Arts – Blockchain technology provides another route by which charities can fundraise and accept donations. Digital artistic works are especially vulnerable to copyright infringement, thus depriving artists of their rightful royalties. A blockchain application ensures that the product cannot be transferred until the sale is recognized and payment is made.

The bandwidth India has developed in the space sector in the past half a century is impressive—different types of satellites (ranging from Earth observation to strategic surveillance), rockets capable of placing satellites in different types of orbits, space telescope, deep space and planetary missions, recently even space warfare (in collaboration with the defence research agency) and finally the human space flight in a couple of years from now. Every mission is a technological challenge and has been achieved with a very high degree of self-reliance and capability developed under stiff international technology embargoes.

Today ISRO is one of the most successful space organisations globally holding the track record of least failures. It’s noteworthy that India owns a space organisation which has almost zero failure ratio. Some of the notable achievements and milestones in the history of ISRO are:

• India’s first indigenous satellite ‘Aryabhatta’ was launched by erstwhile Soviet Union on April 19, 1975.
• ISRO developed Indian National Satellite System (InSat) – a network of satellites launched in 1983 which gave revolutionary leap to India in fields of telecommunications and meteorology. It helped in connecting remote areas of the country.
• ISRO developed Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The rocket enabled ISRO to launch multiple observation and remote sensing satellites. ISRO set a record by launching over 109 nano satellites from single rocket.
• In 2001, ISRO developed Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) which enabled it to deliver much heavier communication satellites in Geosynchronous orbits.
• As a part of on-going scientific research and space exploration missions ISRO developed Moon Orbiter also known as Chanderyaan. Launched in 2008 Chanderyaan has been a landmark achievement for India in space and lunar exploration. The orbiter was used to map the surface of moon.
• Mars Orbiter (Mangalyaan) was another striking space mission carried out by ISRO. Mangalyaan was launched in 2014 to orbit the planet Mars and collect data about its atmosphere and mineral composition.
• In 2019, ISRO in collaboration with DRDO successfully tested an Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapon ushering India in to an elite club of nations who possess similar capability. Only four other nations have such capability yet.

ISRO recently introduced the world to it next 10 year plans, majorly focussed to just break all the pre-conceived boundaries. It’s now aiming big and to go interplanetary.

ISRO has declared the long list of missions as follows:

• XPoSat telescope in 2020 [will study cosmic radiations]
• Aditya L1 to Sun in 2021 [will study Sun & predict the climate change on Earth]
• Mars mission-2 in 2022 [orbital probe to Mars]
• Venus mission in 2023 [will study Earth’s neighbour deeply]
• Chandrayaan 3 in 2024 [will explore more on Moon]
• Exoworlds in 2028 [will explore outside the solar system]

It would be very very interesting as well as a proud moment for this new India to witness these breath taking achievements in future.