08 July 2022

08 JULY 2022 – MAINS QUESTIONS à DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS:

Q1. What reasons have contributed to India’s global leadership role as the world’s vaccine capital? Discuss. (250 words)

• Paper & Topic: GS III àScience and Technology related topics
• Model Answer:

Introduction:

• By 2025, the Indian vaccine business, which has carved out a niche for itself on the global stage, is estimated to be worth Rs 252 billion. In 2019, the Indian market was worth Rs 94 billion. India has two coronavirus vaccine candidates out of a total of eleven worldwide.

Body:

What are the reasons for this:

• India is becoming one of the world’s largest makers and suppliers of vaccinations. Only over 60% of the total vaccinations distributed to UNICEF are from this country.
• India has risen to become one of the world’s main vaccine manufacturers, supplying vast volumes of both basic and complex vaccinations all around the world. Currently, more than two-thirds of the entire amount of vaccines produced is exported, with the remainder being used in the United States.
• The substantial government backing for vaccine manufacturers is one of the primary drivers of the Indian vaccine market. Over the years, consistent government investment and successful efforts have resulted in significant market development.
• Increased investments in research and development (R&D) by government funding organisations such as the Department of Biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are one of the key factors driving market expansion.
• Increased population, rising affluence, improved cold chain logistics, and active NGO participation are some of the additional favourable elements supporting market expansion.
• The introduction of the Universal Immunization Program (UIP), which aims to boost immunisation coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases in the country, has also boosted market growth.
• With technological advancements, vaccine production capacity and cold chain storage facilities have both improved. Aside from that, the emergence of a number of privately owned companies in India has had a good impact on the business.
• These companies have been working hard to bring low-cost solutions to market, and they are increasingly focusing on innovation to boost their profits. India has become a global vaccine manufacturing powerhouse as a result of these causes.
• Manufacturing and clinical trials are less expensive in India than in Western countries.
• Vaccines from India have less adverse effects, are less expensive, and are easier to store and transport.
• Looking ahead, the value of the Indian vaccine market is expected to reach INR 252 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 17.8% over the forecast period (2020-2025).
• BCG, Hib, Influenza, Varicella, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis, Measles, Tetanus Toxoid, Hepatitis A, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DPT), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), Rotavirus, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, Mening

Conclusion:

• India is a global leader in the creation of vaccines. India has exported more vaccines than it has received in its own country. India has become the world’s vaccine capital, thanks to its well-developed infrastructure and government assistance. India is competing with China, but soft diplomacy can help India play a big role in simplifying vaccine delivery to the rest of the world.

Q2. What were the Chandrayaan mission’s primary goals? What were the project’s main takeaways? (250 words)

• Paper & Topic: GS III àScience and Technology related topics
• Model Answer:

Introduction:

• The premature end of India’s Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter mission appears to have been caused by a miscalculation of the thermal stresses the spacecraft would face in its working environment by scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Body:

The Chandrayaan mission’s main goals are:

• The Chandrayaan-1 mission took high-resolution images of the moon in visible, near-infrared (NIR), low-energy X-rays, and high-energy X-rays.
• One of the goals was to create a three-dimensional map of both the near and far sides of the moon (with high spatial and altitude resolution).
• Its goal was to conduct chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface with high spatial resolution to determine the distribution of mineral and chemical elements such as Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Calcium, Iron, and Titanium, as well as high atomic number elements like Radon, Uranium, and Thorium.
• Various planning and management objectives for the expedition were also met. The mission goal of harnessing the science payloads, lunar probe, and launch vehicle with appropriate ground support systems, including the Deep Space Network (DSN) station, was accomplished, which will be useful for future investigations such as the MOM.
• Mission objectives such as spacecraft integration and testing, launching and reaching a 100-kilometer lunar polar orbit, in-orbit experiment operation, communication/ telecommand, telemetry data reception, fast look data, and archival for scientific use by scientists were all met.

The following are some of the project’s key takeaways:

• Given everything that has been learned about the lunar-orbit environment via NASA and other space agencies’ data dating back to the 1960s, the technical blunder that ultimately wrecked Chandrayaan-1 could have been prevented.
• ISRO’s future planetary missions will benefit from the experience, much as NASA has learned from prior missteps like the measurement-conversion error that contributed to the Mars Climate Orbiter disaster a decade ago this month.
• Even if the news is poor, ISRO has perhaps learned something about controlling the release of information regarding civilian space missions, particularly those involving international partners. Chandrayaan-1, however, stands out as an example of how not to do it.
• ISRO said the probe’s primary mission had largely been done when it announced that Chandrayaan-1’s orbit had been increased to 200 kilometres, for example, and couched the move as a way of carrying out extra studies. The overheating issue, which appears to be the real reason for the manoeuvre, was not mentioned.

Conclusion:

• With Chandrayaan-1, ISRO established its ability to lead an international project, and the two countries are working together on a follow-up mission that will include a lander and rover. When things go wrong, part of the duty that comes with such a leadership role is being truthful and up up with details. ISRO can and should improve its performance. It can begin by involving representatives from its partner agencies in the inquiry into Chandrayaan-1’s early failure, and then making the findings of that investigation completely public.