INFORMATION AND

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COMMUNICATION
D
I N
TECHNOLOGY
B
A
- HIMABINDU
I M
H
 D U
I N
WIRELESS
A B
TECHNOLOGIES
I M
H
 SHORT RANGE DEVICES
• Short Range Devices are radio devices whose transmitted power and their range is
low.
• They have a low risk of interference with other radio services.

D U
• Short Range Devices include many different types of wireless equipment, such as
Ø Closed-circuit television (CCTV), TV system in which signals are not

I N
publicly distributed but are monitored primarily for surveillance and security

A B
purpose. It uses radio waves to transmit the video images recorded by cameras
to a limited set of monitors through radio waves.

I M
Ø Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that interconnects computers within

H
a limited area such as residence, school, laboratory, university etc. through
radio waves.
Ø Remote controllers that use radio waves to control distant switches.
Ø Alarms and movement detectors/motion sensors that use RADARS that emit
radio waves will reflect off walls and objects.
Ø Bluetooth, RFIDs etc.
 Radio-frequency identification, RFID

D U
• RFID is an acronym for “radio-frequency identification”

I N
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refers to a wireless

A B
system comprised of two components: tags and readers. The
reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio

I M
waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag. Tags

H
communicate their identity and other information to nearby
readers such as making required payments at toll gate.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H

HIMA BINDU
RFID tag data can be read outside the line-of-sight, whereas barcodes must be
aligned with an optical scanner.

Applications
D U
N
• Asset tracking, Personnel tracking.
I
B
• Controlling access to restricted areas, Employee ID Badges.

A
• Supply chain management.

M
• RFID being used in FASTag- Electronic Toll Collection on Toll Plazas on

HI
National Highways.
• Indian Railways is using RFID tags to track wagons and coaches.
• Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in Gujarat, is tagging cattle
with RFID tags to deal with Cattle menace in the city.
 Bluetooth
• Wireless technology developed in 1990s.
• It uses radio waves as a medium.
• Works for short-range (typically aboutD
U
I N 10 m distance)

Uses: A B
• It is a high speed (< 1 Mbps, 25 Mbps in 4 gen) & low-powered
th

I M
H
• File (data) transfer between devices.
• Bluetooth headset (voice transfer)
• Bluetooth mouse/Key pad etc.
Q. Consider the following communication technologies (UPSC
2022 prelims)
1. Closed-circuit television
2. Radio Frequency Identification
3. Wireless Local Area Network
D U
I N
technologies?
A B
Which of the above are considered Short-Range devices /

a) 1 & 2 only
I M
c) 1 & 3 only H
b) 2 & 3 only

d) 1, 2 & 3
 Wi-Fi (Wireless – fidelity)

• Instead of using wired connections like Ethernet, Wi-Fi uses radio

D U
waves to transmit information at specific frequencies.
• Initially developed in 1990s. I N
A B
• It allows devices to connect to internet.
• Can offer high-speedM
• Range: 100 mH
I Internet.

• Speeds: Can go up to ~ 250 Mbps (Megabits per second)

OPTICAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS (OWC)

U
• It is a form of optical communication in which
D
N
unguided visible, infrared (IR), or ultraviolet (UV) light is
I
B
used to carry a signal. It is generally used in short-range

A
communication.

M
• Optical communication, also known as optical

HI
telecommunication, is communication at a distance
using light waves as a medium to carry information.
 VISIBLE LIGHT COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Light fidelity, Li-Fi
• Li-Fi is a wireless technology invented in 2011.

D U
• Makes use of visible light in place of radio waves (Optical wireless
communication) to transmit binary data in the form of light pulses.

I N
A B
• A preferred communication technique because of its high bandwidth and
immunity to interference from electromagnetic sources.

I M (~ 1 Mbps).
• Can transmit data up to 100 Gbps - more than 100 times the speed of Wi-Fi

H
and much higher than Bluetooth
• Light bulbs (LED lamps) are used as wireless routers.
• It accommodates a photo-detector to receive light signals and a signal
processing element to convert the data into ‘streamable’ content.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H

HIMA BINDU
Applications:
• Internet services for big offices, aeroplanes etc.

U
• Can be used in street lights and traffic lights.
D
I N
• Accident prevention (communication between vehicles through LEDs).
Limitations:
A B
M
• Needs line of sight for communication
I
• Limited range
H
• High installation costs
Q. With reference to 'Li-Fi', recently in the news, which of the following
statements is/are correct? (2016)

U
1. It uses light as the medium for high-speed data transmission.
D
N
2. It is a wireless technology and is several times faster than Wi-Fi.
I
Select from the codes given below:
B
A
a) 1 only

M
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2 HI
 SUPERCOMPUTERS
• Supercomputers are high-performance computers.
• They work on a concept called “parallel computing”, wherein an array of
processors stacked together to perform high computational tasks.

D U
• Supercomputers can do in minutes or hours what regular computers do in days,
months or years.
I N
Types of super computers:
Cluster Computing:
A B
I M
A Computer Cluster is a local network of two or more homogenous computers. A
computation process on such a computer network i.e., cluster is called Cluster
Computing.
Grid Computing:
H
Grid Computing can be defined as a network of homogenous or heterogenous
computers working together over a long distance to perform a task that would rather be
difficult for a single machine.
Cluster computing Grid computing

Nodes must be homogenous i.e. they Nodes may have different Operating
should have same type of hardware
D U
systems and hardwares. Machines
and operating system.
N
can be homogenous or heterogenous.
I
to the same work and performA
B
Computers in a cluster are dedicated Computers in a grid contribute their

M
no unused processing resources to the
other task.
H I grid computing network.

Computers are located close to each Computers may be located at a huge

other. distance from one another.

HIMA BINDU
 D U
I N
A B
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• With a theoretical peak performance of 1102 peta Flops, USA's Frontier is the
world’s fastest supercomputer as of November 2022.
• Currently, the most powerful supercomputer of India is Param Siddhi. It ranks 102
as of new list released in 2022.
U
• The supercomputer is a single system with more than 285,000 CPU cores and
D
N
10,000 GPUs. On top of that, each GPU server has 400 gigabits per second of
network connectivity.
BI
(Note: Graphics processing unit is a specialized processor that can process many
A
pieces of data simultaneously, making them useful for machine learning, video
M
HI
editing, and gaming applications.
GPUs may be integrated into the computer’s CPU or offered as a discrete hardware
unit).
(FLOP: Floating point operations per second - a direct mathematical measurement
of a computer’s performance. Tera: One trillion, Peta: Quadrillion (1000 trillion/
million billion)
Applications:
Supercomputers are designed for calculation-intensive tasks such as problems
involving
• Quantum mechanics
D U
• Weather forecasting
I N
• climate research
A B
• Simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of

I M
nuclear weapons, and research into nuclear fusion
H
• Molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical
compounds, biological molecules, drugs)
• Modelling the spread of the Covid-19 and predicting the pandemic peak using
mathematical models.
Supercomputers are designed and assembled in India by “Center of
Development for Advance Computing (CDAC)”
Pratyush & Mihir:

D U
• In 2018, India announced the release of India’s fastest supercomputer (As
of January 2018), Pratyush, an array of computers that can deliver a peak
I N
power of 6.8 petaflops along with another supercomputer, Mihir.

A B
• The machines are installed at two government institutes:
4.0 petaflops facility at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
(IITM), Pune
I M
H
2.8 petaflops facility at the National Centre for Medium Range
Weather Forecast, Noida.
Primarily be used for supporting research for “improving weather and
climate models”.
 National Supercomputing Mission
• National Supercomputing mission (NSM), aims to enable various institutes across
country with supercomputer infrastructure to aid R&D community for Scientific
and Societal applications.

D U
• It was launched in 2015 to enable India to leapfrog to the league of world class
computing power nations.
I N
The Mission is steered jointly by the B
•
A Department of Science and Technology

Mfor Development of Advanced Computing (C-

(DST) and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).
and implemented by Centre
DAC) and the IndianH
I
Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
• C-DAC is responsible to design, develop, deploy and commission of
supercomputers under the build approach of Mission.
• The Mission plans to build and deploy 24 facilities with cumulative
compute power of more than 64 Petaflops. Till now C-DAC has deployed
11 systems at various institutes in India.
D U
•
N
Estimated cost of the mission is Rs.4500 crore
I
•
•
Mission duration : Seven years.

A
The mission envisages empowering
B our national academic and R&D

I M
institutions in the country by installing a vast supercomputing grid

•
H
comprising of more than 73 indigenous super computers.
MoUs have been signed with 14 premier institutions of India for
establishing supercomputing infrastructure with assembly and
manufacturing in India, including IITs, NITs, National Labs and IISERs.
Progress:
o In December 2018, the government awarded French technology firm “Atos” the
contract to build over 70 supercomputers.
o 1st phase is completed, 2nd phase was expected to be completed by Sep 2021 and
third phase has begun.
D U
o

I N
Supercomputing infrastructure has already been installed in more than 10 premier
institutions.

A B
NSM’s first supercomputer named Param Shivay has been installed in IIT-BHU,
M
o

capacity.
H I
Varanasi, in 2019. It has 837 TeraFlop High-Performance Computing (HPC)

o The second supercomputer, Param Shakti (1.66 PetaFlop) has been installed at
IIT-Kharagpur.
o The third system, Param Brahma (797 Tera Flop), has been installed at IISER-
Pune.
o Param Yukti (838 Tera Flop) supercomputer at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research, Bangalore & a 650 teraflops supercomputer at IIT Hyderabad.
o PARAM Sanganak was set up at IIT Kanpur with a peak computing power of 1.3
Petaflops.
o

D U
Param Siddhi: A high performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI)
supercomputer has been created and installed in C-DAC (Fastest in India as of Nov

I N
2020 & Ranked 63 in Top 500 in 2020), with a peak speed of 5.267 petaflops and 4.6
petaflops sustained speed.
A B
Recently, Param Pravega (3.33 PetaFlop), supercomputer installed in January 2022 at
M
o

o
HI
IISC-Bangalore. It is the largest in any Indian academic institution.
Param Ganga a 1.66 PetaFlop installed at IIT-Roorkee in March 2022.
o Param Ananta Supercomputer was installed at IIT Gandhinagar in May 2022 with a
peak performance of 838 Tera Flops.
o As of now, 15 supercomputers have been installed across the nation with aggregate
computing capacity of 24 petaflops
o The next-generation indigenous HPC interconnect called “Trinetra” has
been designed and developed by CDAC for efficient inter-node
communication between computer nodes within a cluster.
o

D U
India’s first indigenous server platform called ‘Rudra’ is also initiated.. A
wide spectrum of sectors, including high performance computing (HPC)
I N
systems, hyperscale data centres, edge computing, banking and commerce,

server. A B
oil and gas industry and health care, can benefit from the indigenously built

I Mor system that provides resources, data, services

Note: Server is a computer
Hcomputers known as clients, over a network.
o

or programs to other
 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
“Ability of machines to perform cognitive tasks like thinking, perceiving,
learning, problem solving and decision making”.
Machine Learning:
D U
I N
• Without being explicitly programmed, it enables self-learning from data
and then applies that learning without the need for human intervention.

predictions. A B
• Machine learning finds patterns in data and uses them to make

Deep Learning:
I M
H
• It is a technique for implementing Machine Learning in a much deeper or
more sophisticated level.
• It was inspired by the structure and function of the brain, specifically the
interconnecting of many neurons. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are
algorithms that are based on the biological structure of the brain.
Neural network:
• An artificial neural network (ANN) is a computing system designed
U
to simulate the way the human brain analyzes and processes
D
I N
information. It is the foundation of artificial intelligence (AI) and
solves problems that would prove impossible or difficult by human or
statistical standards.
A B
• The basic unit of computation in a neural network is the neuron, often
I M
called a node or unit. It receives input from some other nodes, or
H
from an external source and computes an output. Thus, Nodes contain
data and can link to other nodes.
 Biological Neural Network Artificial Neural Network
Dendrites Inputs
Cell nucleus Nodes
D U
Axon
I N
Output

Machine learning is a subfield A

B
I M
subfield of machine learning,
of artificial intelligence. Deep learning is a
and neural networks make up the backbone of
H In fact, it is the number of node layers, or depth,
deep learning algorithms.
of neural networks that distinguishes a single neural network from a deep
learning algorithm, which must have more than three.
 AI in India
• In June 2018, the Indian government defined a national policy on AI in a
working paper titled, “National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence
“AIforAll.”

D U
• This paper identified five focus areas where AI is envisioned to help

N
fulfilling the societal needs:
I
A B
• Healthcare: increased access & affordability of quality healthcare.
• Agriculture: enhanced farmers’ income, increased farm productivity and
reduction of wastage.
I M
• Education: improved access & quality of education
H
• Smart Cities and Infrastructure: efficient and connectivity for the rapidly
growing urban population.
• Smart Mobility and Transportation: smarter and safer modes of
transportation and better traffic and congestion problems.
Challenges:
There are several barriers that need to be addressed to realize the goal of “AI
for all”.

D U
1. Lack of broad based expertise in research and application of AI

I N
2. Absence of enabling data ecosystems – access to intelligent data

A B
3. High resource cost and low awareness for adoption of AI
4. Privacy and security,M
H
anonymisation of
I
data
including a lack of formal regulations around

5. Absence of collaborative approach to adoption and application of AI.

• In 2020, Union government has launched a National Program for the
youth, “Responsible AI for Youth”, aiming at students from

U
Government schools to empower the youth to become AI ready and help
D
I N
reduce the skill gap, while finding solutions that can bring in social
impact.
A B
•
I M
Government also launched “National Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Website”, a one H
stop digital platform for AI related developments in
India, sharing of resources such as articles, startups, investment funds in
AI, companies and educational institutions related to AI in India etc.
 The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)
• The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is an international initiative
to promote the responsible use of AI that supports human-centric
development and democratic values.
D U
• It is a congregation of 25 member countries, which along with India
I N
includes the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada,

A B
Australia, Italy, Denmark, and Singapore, among others.
• It is the first of its kind initiative which aims to bridge the gap between

I M
theory and practice on AI and to better understand the challenges and
H
opportunities around AI using the experience and diversity of participating
countries.
• India assumed the chair of the GPAI for 2022-23 at the meeting of the body
in Tokyo in November 2022. This signifies how world today perceives India
as a trusted technology partner.
 ROBOTICS
• “Robot” is “an electromechanical device” with multiple degrees-of-
freedom that is programmable to accomplish a variety of tasks.
• Robots are of different types.
Fixed robots are mostly industrial roboticD
U
•
I N repetitive tasks.
manipulators that work in well-

•
A B
defined environments performing specific
Mobile robots are expected to move around and perform tasks in uncertain

I M
environments. They can operate in terrestrial, aquatic, or air with legs or
wheels. H
• Humanoid robots are professional service robots built to mimic human
motion and interaction.
 HIMA BINDU
Applications

D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 Sophia
• Developed by “Hanson Robotics” (Hong Kong),
lead by AI developer David Hanson (2016).
• Through “Artificial Intelligence”, it
D U
has

I N
developed to hold eye contact, recognize faces
and understand human speech.
A B
•
M
It is able to answer certain questions
I
and to make

H
simple conversations on predefined topics.
• Sophia became first humanoid robot to become
a full citizen of a country (Saudi Arabia).
 Vyommitra
• A “half-humanoid” being developed by the ISRO
• prototype for a half-humanoid that will eventually fly to
space on an unmanned mission later this year. This will

D
serve as a test of ISRO’s preparedness for its mannedU
•
mission Gaganyaan.
It is built to mimic crew activity insideB
I N
the crew module
of Gaganyaan. A
Mpostures, responding to the
•
H I
It can attain launch and orbital
environment, generating warnings, operating switches,
monitoring of the crew module, receiving voice
commands, responding via speech (bilingual).
FEDOR was first humanoid robot to be sent to space by Russia in 2019.
The robot’s main purpose it to be used in operations that are especially
dangerous for humans onboard spacecraft and in outer space.

D U
Robonaut 2:
I N
• Developed by NASA.
A B
•
M
It’s a humanoid sent to the international
I
space station in 2011 to help

H after successfully performing tasks.

astronauts with various
high-five crew members
tasks. It can grasp objects, flip switches and

• Can take over simple, repetitive, or especially dangerous tasks.

 Bandicoot

Developed by “Genrobotic
D U
I N
Innovations” from Kerala, a spider-
B
shaped robot to “clean sewers and
A
M
manholes” been deployed in Kerala,
I
H
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, Gujarat, and Haryana.

HIMA BINDU
 During Covid-19
• Robots are in demand during this contagious disease outbreak- globally, they

U
are being used in sample collection, patient monitoring, performing cleaning

D
N
services in hospitals.

•
B I
Maitri, a robot developed by a Vijayawada based firm of Andhra Pradesh, is

M A
being used to serve food, water and medicines in hospitals.

•
H I
Drones are being used to decontaminate the containment zones by spraying
chemicals, rush test samples to laboratories, and monitoring the
implementation of quarantine measures.
 Robotics in India
• Enterprises are increasingly turning to robots to save manpower and cost.
• The adoption of robots has been slow in India.
• 2021 statistics show that India has only 4 robots for every 10,000 workers
U
(called 'robot density') while the global average is 126.
D
N
• South Korea has the highest robot density of 932, with Singapore, Japan,
I
A B
Germany following it. USA (255) is in 7th and China in 9th (246) positions.
• With more firms investing in digitization, the levels are set to increase in India.

I M
• Sales of industrial robots in India reached a new record of 4,771 new

H
units installed in 2018, an increase of 39 percent compared to the previous
year (2017: 3,412 units), as per “International Federation of Robotics
(IFR)” report published in October, 2019.
• While the automotive industry has seen the highest adoption, the demand for
robots is growing in general industry as well.
 XENOBOTS
• Named after the African clawed frog , Xenopus laevis, are
synthetic lifeforms that are designed by using Artificial

D U
intelligence and super computers to perform some desired

I N
function and built by combining together different biological
tissues.
A B
• Xenobots are less than a 1 millimeter (0.039 inches) wide and
I M
composed of just two things: skin cells and heart muscle cells,
H
both of which are derived from stem cells harvested from early
(blastula stage) frog embryos.
• The skin cells provide rigid support and the heart cells act as
small motors, contracting and expanding in volume to propel the
xenobot forward.
• In Xenobot – 2, Instead of using manually sculpted cardiac cells
whose natural rhythmic contractions allowed the original Xenobots

D U
to scuttle around, cilia give the new spheroidal bots “legs” to move
them rapidly across a surface. They can move faster and navigate in
different conditions. I N
A B
• Xenobots can heal them selves and are biodegradable.

M
• Xenobots could be used to clean up radioactive waste, collect
I
H
microplastics in the oceans, carry medicine inside human bodies, or
even travel into our arteries to scrape out plaque.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

• A “Blockchain” is a digital, distributed transaction ledger, with identical

U
copies maintained on multiple computer systems controlled by different
D
N
entities.

B I
• Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonymous person or persons developed digital

M A
cryptocurrency, bitcoin, and authored the bitcoin white paper, (A white
paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex
I
Nakamoto was H
issue) using block chain technology.
• the first to solve the double-spending problem for digital
currency using this peer-to-peer network.
• To this decentralized database, new information is added in the form
of a “block.”

U
• This new block is linked to a “chain” of previously created blocks.
Each block contains some data, a uniqueD
•
I N ID called hash and the hash

•
of the previous block.

A B
Data in the block depends on the type of blockchain. E.g., in Bitcoin

I M
block chain contains information like sender, receiver and the number
coins.
H
• Changing some thing in the block changes its hash which makes all the next
blocks in the chain invalid.

D U
• The chance of changing the hashes of all next blocks is minimised by “proof
of work”, a mechanism where a mathematical puzzle to be solved for adding

I N
each new block, slows down the creation of new blocks.
•
A B
Thus, It would require massive amounts of computing power to access

I M
every block of a certain blockchain and alter them all at the same time.
•
H
Because they aren’t stored in a central location, blockchains don’t have a
single point of failure.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 Applications

Cryptocurrencies
• “Virtual/ Digital currencies, like Bitcoin, use blockchain technology platform.

D U
• It allows cryptocurrencies to operate without the need for a central authority.

I N
• Reduces the risk and eliminates processing/transaction fees.
• It also bypasses govt control overB

M A currency
Voting
• Citizens can castH
I
votes the same way they initiate other secure transactions and
validate that their votes were cast—or even verify the election results.
In banking sector
• It can provide wide range of benefits, including lower costs, fewer errors and
frauds.

D U
Healthcare
I N
A B
• Secure transfer of patient database (medical records), prescriptions, and medicine
supply chain management can happen through blockchain technology.

I M
Land registrations
Hand non-corruptible record on a blockchain and validating
• By securing a unique
changes to the status of that record across owners, a reliable land record can be
created.
• Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are cryptographic assets on a blockchain with
unique identification codes and metadata (Data about data E.g., Metadata for a
music file might include the artist's name, the album, and the year it was released)
that distinguish them from each other. They cannot be replicated.
• NFTs can represent real-world items like artwork and real estate.
• NFTs are ideal for creating digital version of collectibles like art, real estate
identities etc.
• "Tokenizing" / Digitising these real-world tangible assets makes buying, selling,
and trading them more efficient while reducing the probability of fraud.
• NFTs can also function to represent individuals' identities, property rights, and
more.
• Unlike cryptocurrencies, they cannot be traded or exchanged at equivalency.
This differs from fungible tokens like cryptocurrencies, which are identical to
each other and, therefore, can serve as a medium for commercial transactions.
With reference to Non-Fungible tokens (NFTs), consider the
following statements: (UPSC 2022 Prelims)
1. They enable the digital representation of physical assets.
2. They are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a block chain.
3. They can be traded or exchanged at equivalency and therefore can be
used as a medium of commercial transactions.
Which of the following statements given above are correct?
a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) 1,2 & 3
 Challenges & Issues
• Lack of awareness of the technology.
• Resistance to change from traditional/centralized methods and the loss of
control can be deeply unsettling.
U
• For Bitcoin total running costs associated with validating and sharing
D
N
transactions on the public ledger are estimated to be as much as $600 million a
year.
BI
• Due to their complexity and their encrypted, distributed nature, blockchain
A
transactions can take a while to process.
M
HI
• Privacy and the security of the data stored and accessible on the shared ledger.
• Scalability is an issue for public blockchains like bitcoin that are enormously
growing.
• Large Computational power/power consumption.
• Lack of regulation.
 Status in India

• In India, blockchain technology was adopted in 2016 primarily by the

players in the Banking and Financial Services industry.

D U
• By the beginning of 2017, blockchain was adopted by government
bodies, Fast Moving Consumer Goods and Pharmaceutical industry.
I N
A B
• The NITI Aayog is working on building the country’s largest
blockchain network - IndiaChain, in a bid to reduce frauds and

MBoard of India (SEBI) has established an

increase transparency of transactions.
I
Hfor conducting research on the blockchain platform
• Securities and Exchange
advisory committee
and other emerging technologies.
• The Reserve Bank of India is also exploring the applicability of
blockchain in Indian Banking and Financial Services industry.
• Many Indian state governments have also shown interest in using
blockchain across multiple sectors
D U
I N
o Andhra Pradesh government is piloting blockchain in two departments
– land registry and transport.
A B
M
o Telangana has begun a pilot program in parts of Hyderabad to use

o Maharashtra H
I
blockchain technology for land registration.
and Gujarat are also holding discussions with start-ups
in the blockchain space.
Q. With reference to the Blockchain Technology, consider the following
statements:

D U
1. It is a public ledger that everyone can inspect, which no single user controls
2. The structure and design of blockchain is such that all the data in it are
about cryptocurrency only
I N
A B
3. Applications that depend on the basic features of blockchain can be
developed without anybody’s permission

I M
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only H
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
THE EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNET (WEB 1 TO WEB 5)

The Block Head (TBH),

Dorsey’s Bitcoin business
division, is working on Web
5.0, which aims to create an
additional decentralised web
that places people in charge of
their data and identity.
(i) Web 1.0 (1989 – 2005)
• Web 1.0 is the first generation of the internet referred to as the “read-only” or
“static” web.
• Users could not interact with the website; they could only read its content.

(ii) Web 2.0 (2004-to-date)

• It is regarded as the social web or the read-and-write web.
• Facebook, Google, Twitter, WordPress, and Instagram are all Web 2.0
applications.
• On Web 2.0, users had identities. However, the issue with Web2 is
“centralization.”
• These companies collect users’ data and sell it for targeted advertisements,
enriching only themselves and without the users’ consent.
 (iii) Web 3.0 (2021-to-date)
• The third generation of the web, known as Web 3.0, strongly emphasizes
decentralization.
• It enables users to not only read and write but also become owners of the internet
through cryptocurrencies.
• Web 3 keeps users’ identities anonymous.
• It allows users to control their data, thus eliminating the centralization and
exploitation of data.
(iv) Web 5.0 (2022)
• Web 5.0 aims to improve upon Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.
• Web2+ Web3= Web5
• In Web 2.0 users have an identity that is managed by an authority.
• And in Web 3.0, users access decentralized platforms where they are anonymous
and own their data.
• Web 5.0, on the other hand, will give users identities and allow them to access
decentralized platforms where they have total control of their data.
The Pillars Of Web 5.0
• Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs)
• Verifiable Credentials (VCs)
• Decentralized Web Nodes (DWNs)

Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs)

• DIDs are the users’ IDs that aren’t controlled by any authority.
• These IDs are stored on the blockchain and are accessible to everyone.
• For example: You need to enter your details each time you want to sign up for
Facebook, Twitter, or any Web 2.0 application.
• However, in Web 5.0, once you create your ID (DID), you can use it to access
any DWA (Web 5.0 application) without needing to enter your details afresh.
Verifiable Credentials (VCs)
They can represent information found in physical credentials, such as a passport or
license, as well as new things that have no physical equivalent, such as ownership of a
bank account. They have numerous advantages over physical credentials, most
notably that they're digitally signed, which makes them tamper-resistant and
instantaneously verifiable.

Decentralized Web Nodes (DWNs)

DWNs are responsible for handling all the data storage and relay in Web 5.0.
Furthermore, DWNs universally identify each user with their DIDs.
And enables anyone (including, organizations and machines) to send, store and
receive messages over a DID-based universal network.
In addition, it allows users to optionally encrypt their messages with an individual’s
DID keys while sending them over to the network.
2. With reference to web 3.0, consider the following statements:
(UPSC 2022)
1. Web 3.0 technology enables people to control their own data

D U
2. In web 3.0 world, there can be block chain based social networks
3. Web 3.0 is operated by users collectively rather than a
corporation.
I N
a) 1 & 2 only
A B
Which of the following statements are correct?

b) 2 & 3 only
I M
c) 1 & 3 only
d) 1, 2 & 3 H
VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality (VR) refers to a
D U
N
computer-generated simulation in

artificial three-dimensional BI
which a person can interact within an

A
environment using electronic devices,
M
HI
such as special goggles with a screen or
haptic gloves fitted with sensors. In this
simulated artificial environment, the
user can have a realistic-feeling or
experience.
• Software creates virtual worlds that are experienced by users through devices
such as goggles, headphones, and special gloves.
• Together, the user can view and interact with the virtual world as if it is real.

Applications
D U
• Virtual reality has several applications, most common one being in entertainment

I N
and gaming, also in developing tools for sales, education, and training.
Education
A B
• VR can be used in schools for adapting education through virtual experience of
the situations.
I M
H
• They can also be taken on virtual field trips, for example, to museums, taking
tours of the solar system and going back in time to different eras.
• VR can also be particularly beneficial for students with special needs, such as
autism.
Medical:
• Due to its interactive nature, medical and dental students have begun using VR
to practice surgeries and procedures. Immersive touch through haptic gloves
gives them a hands on experience.

practicing on real patients is eliminated.

D U
• It allows for a consequence free learning environment, inflicting harm while

Sports:
I N
A B
• Virtual reality can be used by coaches and players to train more efficiently
across a range of sports, as they are able to watch and experience certain

M
situations repeatedly and can improve each time.
I
Military:
H
• The military uses it for flight simulations, battlefield simulations, vehicle
simulation and virtual boot camp, among other things.
• VR is a completely immersive, visual and sound-based experience, which
can safely replicate dangerous training situations to prepare and train
soldiers, without putting them at risk until they are ready for combat.
AUGMENTED
REALITY

superimposition of
D U
computer- generated images
I N
on existing environments”
A B
I M
to make them more realistic.
H
 D U
Companies like Ikea developed apps to
allow users to scan the room and design

I N the space by placing Ikea objects in the

A B digital image of the room to check if the

products fit well.

I M
H
 The “Dulux”, a paint
D U
company, helps customers to try
I N
out a shade of paint for a room
A
before purchasing it using an app
B
I
called “Dulux Visualizer”. M
H
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
Tourism
The ability to augment a live view of displays in a museum with facts and figures is a
natural use of the technology.
In medicine: Helps in generating more realistic imaging of organs,
tumors etc, for improved accuracy in surgeries.

D U
Military use:
I N
A B
The Heads-Up Display (HUD) is the typical example of augmented
reality when it comes to military applications of the technology.
I M
A transparent display is positioned directly in the fighter pilot's view.
H
Data typically displayed to the pilot includes altitude, airspeed and the
horizon line in addition to other critical data.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
Q. In the context of digital technologies for entertainment, consider the
following statements:
1. In Augmented Reality (AR), a simulated environment is created and the physical
world is completely shut out.

real life objects or surroundings. D U

2. In Virtual Reality (VR), images generated from the computer are projected onto

I N
3. AR allows individual to be present in the world and improves the experience using

A B
the camera of smart- phone or PC.
4.VR closes the world, and transposes an individual, providing complete immersion
experience.
I M
H
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 3
d) 4 only
 METAVERSE
• “Metaverse” became a buzzword
after Facebook changed its name to
“Meta” in October 2021.
D U
• The metaverse, is
I N
originally

A
Neil Stephenson (1992) in his
B
conceived by the American writer,

I M
science fiction novel “Snow Crash”.

H
• It refers to a virtual world where
people can socialize, work, and play.
• A super-platform that convenes sub-
platforms: social media, online video
games, and ease-of-life apps, all
accessible through the same digital
space and sharing the same digital
economy.
• The idea is to create a more
D U
immersive internet, in which
I N
technologies like AR and VR

A B
are used to spend our time engaging

I M
in virtual spaces and experiences
rather than the physical world.
H
• It requires collaborative efforts by
multiple stake holders.
• It is projected to be the future of the
internet, although timelines are
unclear.
 JPMORGAN - THE FIRST BANK IN METAVERSE
• JPMorgan is the world’s first bank to set up shop in the Metaverse.
• The largest bank in the US has opened a lounge in the blockchain-based world
Decentraland (virtual destination for digital assets backed by Ethereum block
chain).
U
• Users can create their virtual avatars, build virtual spaces and roam in the lounge
D
christened ‘Onyx Lounge’.
I N
A B
• The lounge also features a digital image of the bank’s CEO Jamie Dimon.
• Metaverse marketplaces combine the capabilities of Virtual reality, Blockchain and NFT

digital files)
I M
(Non-Fungible Tokens – units of data on blockchain like photos, videos associated with

H
• In the economics of the metaverse (Called 'metanomics') — there are opportunities in
almost every market area like virtual Shopping, private clubs and Real estate and more.
• In January 2022, Samsung opened a version of its New York store in Decentraland, and
in November 2021, Barbados established a metaverse embassy.
• Metaverse real estate is a booming market and digital plots of land continue to remain
highly sought after.
 QUANTUM COMPUTERS:
• Quantum: Smallest possible discrete unit of any physical property such as energy or
matter.
• Quantum computers uses qubits instead of classical bits, 0&1
• Qubits can be 0&1 at the same time
U
• There are several physical objects that can be used as qubits. E.g., A single photon, an
D
electron or a nucleus.
I N
• Electrons have magnetic field; they are like tiny bar magnets. When we place them in a

A B
magnetic field, they will align with the magnetic field just like the needle of the compass
aligns with the earth’s magnetic field. This is the lowest energy state. (Spin down = let’s
I M
compare it to classical bit 0)
H
• They can also align in a position exactly against the magnetic field. This is highest energy
state. (Spin up = like classical bit 1)
• The quantum objects can be in both states at once called quantum superposition.
• It is giving up the precise values 0 & 1 and allowing some uncertainty.
• A classical bit is 1or 0 like heads/tails, but qubits exist in a fluid nonbinary identity. They
can exist in a super position with some probability of being heads or tails.
Applications:
• Quantum uncertainty can be used to create private keys / security codes for
encrypting messages sent from one location to another. Hackers cannot copy

D U
the key perfectly due to the quantum uncertainty.
• Health care and medicine. The design and analysis of molecules for drug

I N
development is challenging because exactly describing and calculating all the

A B
quantum properties of all atoms in the molecules is computationally difficult
even for a supercomputer but a quantum computer can do it better as it

I M
operates using the same quantum properties as the molecule it is trying to

H
simulate. Thus, quantum computers are more efficient in modelling
biochemicals and biochemical reactions.
• Teleportation of information with out physically transmitting information.
Scientists confirmed that the information could be passed between photons
on computer chips even when the photons were not physically linked.
Quantum particles can get entangled across space and time in such a way
that when we change something about one particle, it can impact the other

D U
particle. This creates a channel for teleportation. Scientists are trying for
quantum internet.
I N
A B
• Albert Einstein said that quantum mechanics should allow two objects to
affect each other’s behavior instantly across vast distances, He called it

I M
“Spooky action at a distance”
• They have the potential to process exponentially more data compared to
H
classical computers.
• Such algorithms would be useful in solving complex mathematical
problems or predicting multiple particle interactions in chemical reactions.
Comparison with regular computers:
• Quantum computers are not comparable to regular computers. They
work on different principles.
D U
• Quantum computers are not faster or better than super computers in all
I N
matters, but they are particularly efficient in certain complex tasks.

A B
• Quantum computers do exceptionally well in problems that require
calculation of probabilities of many possible different combinations.

I M
• Regular browsing or simple calculations may be even faster on a regular
H
computer than a quantum computer.
 Issues & Challenges
• Not everybody is convinced that quantum computers are worth the effort.

D U
• Some mathematicians believe there are obstacles that are practically

I N
impossible to overcome, putting quantum computing forever out of reach.
•
A
Some companies, such as IBM and B Google, claim we might be close, as they
continue to cram more M
• Quantum research
I qubits together and build more accurate devices.
Hin India is “solid on the theoretical side, but we need to
build infrastructure and experimental facilities”
 National Mission on Quantum Computing

• With an aim to spearhead scientific breakthroughs and boost quantum

D U
technology-led economic growth, India, in the Budget 2020-21 has

I N
B
announced a “National Mission on Quantum Technologies and
Applications”
M A
•
•
I
Allocated a budget of Rs.
It is to be implemented
8000 cr for a period of 5 years.
H by the Department of Science and Technology.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
India’s first Quantum Computer Simulator toolkit launched

• In August 2021, the Ministry of Electronics and Information

Technology (MeitY), launched the country’s first ‘Quantum Computer
Simulator (QSim) Toolkit’.
D U
• Quantum simulators are software programs that run on classical
computers.
I N
A B
• QSim is a first-of-its-kind toolkit to be indigenously developed and is
intended to be a vital tool in learning and understanding the practical

I M
aspects of programming using Quantum Computers.

H
• It is a collaborative initiative brought together by IISc Bangalore, IIT
- Roorkee and C-DAC to address the challenges of advancing
the Quantum Computing research in India.
• QSim assists researchers in doing necessary experiments to run on
actual Quantum Hardware.
UNION CABINET GIVES NOD FOR ₹6,003 CRORE QUANTUM MISSION
● Recently, the union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the
National Quantum Mission (NQM) to aid scientific and industrial research and
development in quantum technology.
D U
National Quantum Mission:
I N
A B
● It’ll be implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST)
under the Ministry of Science & Technology.

I M
● The mission planned for 2023-2031 aims to seed, nurture, and scale up

H
scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in
Quantum Technology (QT).
● With the launch of this mission, India will be the seventh country to have a
dedicated quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France, Canada and
China.
Features of NQM:
● It will target developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-100
physical qubits in 5 years and 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years.

D U
● The mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity for
precision timing (atomic clocks), communications, and navigation.
I N
● It will also support design and synthesis of quantum materials such as

A B
superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for

M
fabrication of quantum devices.
I
H
● The mission will help in developing Satellite based secure quantum
communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 km within India.
● Long distance secure quantum communications with other countries.
● Inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km.
● Multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories
● Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) would be set up in top academic and National
R&D institutes on the domains of Quantum Technology:
○ Quantum computation
○ Quantum communication
D U
N
○ Quantum Sensing & Metrology
I
Significance:
A B
○ Quantum Materials & Devices

I M
● This will accelerate QT led economic growth and make India one of the leading

H
nations in the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications (QTA)
ranging from healthcare and diagnostics, defense, energy and data security.
● It will work towards indigenously building quantum-based computers which are
far more powerful and are able to solve the most complex problems in a highly
secure manner.
Quantum Technology:
● Quantum technology is a field of science and engineering that deals with the
principles of quantum mechanics, which is the study of the behavior of matter
and energy at the smallest scale.

D
and energy at the atomic and subatomic level. U
● Quantum mechanics is the branch of physics that describes the behavior of matter

Quantum key distribution:

I N
B
● QKD, also called Quantum Cryptography, is a mechanism to develop secure
A
M
communication.

HI
● It provides a way of distributing and sharing secret keys that are necessary for
cryptographic protocols.
● The conventional cryptosystems used for data-encryption rely on the complexity
of mathematical algorithms, whereas the security offered by quantum
communication is based on the laws of Physics.
Source: The Hindu, 19 April, 2023.
Q. Which of the following is the context in which

D U
the term “qubit” is mentioned? (UPSC 2022
Prelims)
I N
a) Cloud Services
A B
M
b) Quantum computing
c) Visible light I
d) WirelessH
communication technologies
communication technologies
EVOLUTION OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

D U
I N
A B
I M
H
• 5G is a fifth-generation communication technology.
• With its new Radio interface, along with other new technologies, that utilizes
much higher radio frequencies to transfer exponentially more data.
4G 5G
Theoretical 1 Gbps
D U
Up to 20 Gbps
maximum Speed
I N 1 milli second
Latency
(Response time) B
50 milli second

A
5G uses millimetre waveM
•
H I
(Radio) waves. Millimeter
spectrum, {Milli meter waves are electromagnetic
wave spectrum is the band of spectrum between 30
GHz and 300 GHz. Wedged between microwaves and infrared waves, this
spectrum can be used for high-speed wireless communications} - 2.5 gigahertz
(GHz) for 4G LTE Pro and 3.5GHz to tens of gigahertz into the millimeter
wave (mmWave) spectrum for 5G
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 GHz GHz GHz

D U GHz GHz GHz

I N
A B
I M
H
• Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths with frequencies ranging
between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. Microwave region overlap with highest frequency radio waves.
• Millimeter waves are electromagnetic waves typically defined to lie within the frequency range
of 30–300 GHz.
• Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic waves with frequency range 3 kilohertz up to 300
gigahertz. (Kilo<Mega<Giga<tera<Peta)
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
• 4G is reaching the technical limits of how much data it can quickly transfer,”
5G can eliminate this congestion problem &
• Like 4G LTE, 5G is also “Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing

D U
(OFDM) and will use the same mobile networking principles. However, 5G
interface will further enhance OFDM to deliver a much higher degree of

I N
flexibility and scalability.

A B
• OFDM: Multiplexing the signals in a way that the peak of one signal is at the
null of the other signal, allowing more data transmissions in a particular band

I M
width. At the receiving end the demultiplexer would separate them.

H
• This enables more devices to be used within the same geographic area.
• While 4G can support about 4,000 devices per square kilometre, 5G will
support around one million/ Sq Km.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
• “Network slicing” is a network architecture that enables the multiplexing of
independent virtual networks on same physical network infrastructure to provide
different amounts of resources to different types of traffic. It allows only the
functions necessary to support particular customers and particular market segments.
U
• Ericsson 5G RAN slicing is designed to secure dynamic radio source allocation and
D
N
prioritisation for different slices.
I
A B
I M
H
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
• 5G also uses a new digital technology called Massive MIMO (multiple
input multiple output), improving coverage, speed and capacity.
• 5G uses ‘massive’ MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) antennas that

receive more data simultaneously.

D U
have very large numbers of antenna elements or connections to send and

I N
• Each antenna panel at cell towers contains hundreds of antennas.

A B
• Every modern mobile device has two or more cellular antennas onboard
to enable the magic of MIMO.

I M
H
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 5G - Applications
The primary use of the technology will go beyond delivery of services on personal
mobiles devices such as faster streaming/download speeds.
Expected to form the backbone of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things

range of applications and services, including

D U
(IoT) and machine to machine communications, thereby supporting a much larger

• Tele/robotic surgery and

I N
• AR/VR applications

A B
• Smart city and smart transport infrastructure

M
• Implementation of sensor-embedded network that will allow real time relay of
I
H
information across fields such as manufacturing, consumer durables and agriculture.
• Enable driverless cars
• Real time data analytics.

With 5G, it is possible to have many more devices working, reliably, securely and
uninterrupted in the same area.
 5G Launch in India
• 5G services was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1st
2022, during the 6th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC), after being postponed
for 2 years.

U
• South Korea, USA and China were ahead of other countries in launching 5G

D
commercially and over 70 countries have already launched 5G as of mid 2022.
N
BI
• 5G services are going to be available in various Indian cities in phase wise manner.
• Jio emerged as the top bidder in India's 5G spectrum auction in July 2022,

MA
acquiring 24,740 MHz of spectrum (out of the 72,098 MHz of spectrum offered
across 10 bands) worth Rs 88,078 crore. It took the most expensive 700MHz band

HI
that can provide 6-10 km of signal range and forms a good base for 5G in all
telecom 22 circles in the country. A single tower can cover more area if 700MHz is
used.
• Airtel was the second-highest bidder with 19,867 MHz of spectrum in various
bands worth Rs 43,084 crore.
• Vodafone and Adani group stood third and fourth in the auction.
 5G ROLLOUT ISSUE - USA

• In 2021, USA auctioned 5G bandwidth in the 3.7-3.98 GHz in C-band spectrum.

• On 14th January 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that the
U
rollout of new 5G technology by two US companies (AT&T and Verizon) in the
D
N
allotted bands could potentially lead to interference with some onboard
I
B
instruments such as altimeters on aircraft.

A
• It led to several airlines, including Air India, temporarily cancelling their flights to

M
the U.S.

HI
• An altimeter (altitude meter) is an instrument that measures the altitude of
aircraft when it is above land or water.
• The radio altimeters used in aircrafts are very small, low-power radar systems
that operate in the 4.2-4.4 GHz frequency C-band.
• C-Band is preferred by telecom companies for 5G as it offers a wide spectrum range
that can be used for faster connection than its predecessor 4G.
• The concern is that the signal emitted by the 5G’s C-Band will interfere with the

D U
signals the altimeter receives about the plane’s altitude, which could impact operations

N
during low-visibility landings or landings in bad weather.
I
A B
• The two companies have agreed to temporarily turn off the C-band towers and create
buffer zones of 3.2 km in about 50 U.S. airports to keep 5G C-band cell towers away
from runways.
I M
• There is a discussion on finding a permanent solution to this issue, like limiting the
H
upper end of the 5G frequency (like Europe does) or using filters in vulnerable aircrafts
(like Boeing 777) to remove signals from 5G.
 IIT HYDERABAD TAKES EARLY LEAD IN
6G EXTREME MASSIVE MIMO TECHNOLOGY
• In telecommunications, 6G is the sixth-generation standard currently under
development for wireless communications technologies supporting cellular data

U
networks. It is the planned successor to 5G and will likely be significantly faster.
• Terahertz radiation (0.3 THz to 3 THz) and D
I Nthan the microwave frequencies (about
millimeter waves (30 to 300 GHz)

B
are however much more sensitive to obstacles

A
2 to 30 GHz) used in 5G and Wi-Fi, which

M data rates
waves used in 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.
are more sensitive than the radio
There's a huge amount of free spectrum up there
I
that would allow for spectacular
H
• 6G is expected to give a speed of I TB per second. Latency of one-microsecond in
communication while 5G is 1 millisecond latency
• In 2020, China successfully launched an experimental test satellite with candidates
for 6G technology into orbit, along with 12 other satellites, using a Long March
6 launch vehicle rocket.
• The Chinese satellite is intended to verify the terahertz (THz) communication
technology in space
• In 2022, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) announced a
demonstration of the Extreme Massive MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output),

D U
a technology that is being considered for 5G-advanced and 6G deployment.
• Extreme massive MIMO refers to next-generation technology that uses very large
I N
B
antenna arrays.

MA
• An experimental research prototype is developed by IITH, with aim to discover
achievable performance limits.

HI
• This is expected to show a 3-fold improvement over the state-of-the art 5G
massive MIMO technology.
Applications:
• Deep learning
• Big data analytics
• Edge computing, AR, VR, IOT, High performance computing
Key features of 6G:
1. Multiband ultrafast speed transmission.
2. Energy efficient communication. (By
modernizing the equipment, Using AI and ML to
adjust the capacity of mobile networks to match
the variations in demand etc.)
3. High security, secrecy, and privacy as it uses
multi band including OWC and VLC (Li-fi).
Source: March 23, 2023, Indian Express
 BHARAT 6G PROJECT: INDIA PLANS TO
ROLL OUT HIGH-SPEED INTERNET BY 2030
● India is gearing up to roll out high-speed 6G communication services by
2030 and has set up a Bharat 6G project to identify and fund research and
deployment of the next-generation technology in the country, according to a
vision document unveiled by the Prime Minister.
● While, technically, 6G does not exist today, it has been conceived as a far
superior technology promising internet speeds up to 100 times faster than 5G.
● In order to facilitate coordination between excavation agencies and the owners of
underground utilities and prevent damage to utilities as a result of digging, the
government has also released the "Call Before You Dig (CBuD)" app.
● India’s 6G project will be implemented in two phases, the first one from
2023 to 2025 and the second one from 2025 to 2030.
● The government has also established an apex council to oversee the project and
concentrate on matters like standardization, identifying the spectrum for 6G usage,
developing an ecosystem for gadgets and systems, and determining funding for
R&D, among other things.
● New technologies like terahertz communication, radio interfaces, tactile internet
(Low latency, high reliability, and high security internet) artificial intelligence, new
encoding techniques, will be a major area of focus for the council.
Aim:
● It aims for India to become a major supplier of intellectual property, goods, and
solutions for reasonably priced 6G telecom solutions.
● To support the Startups, researchers, industry, and other broadband wireless
applications in India, such as e-Governance, smart cities, rural broadband &
other Digital India initiatives under Atma Nirbhar Bharat through the project.
 CLOUD COMPUTING
• It is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases,
networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the

D U
cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

I N
Dropbox, and Gmail etc.
A B
• Examples of cloud computing used in day today life are Facebook, YouTube,

• Many cloud computingI M such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, IBM and

providers
Amazon are movingHtowards escalation in the usage of various cloud services.
3 major Types of Cloud services:
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Software can be accessed online without the

U
need for downloading E.g., email services like Gmail, Hotmail and Microsoft
D
I N
office 365, Microsoft outlook etc. (email, calendar and files in one spot). Their
user interface can be customized asB
Infrastructure as a ServiceA
per the need.
•

I M (IaaS): Storage, network, operating system,

H(Google drive)
virtual machines etc.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Platform on which user can deploy their own
software and coding E.g. Google Cloud platform (GCP), Amazon web
services (AWS) and Microsoft's Azure.
‘GI Cloud - 'MeghRaj’
• It is an initiative by government of India, launched in 2014.
• It is to increase the usage of cloud technology in providing government
services.
D U
I N
• The focus of this initiative is to accelerate delivery of e-services in the

A B
country while optimizing ICT spending of the Government.
AIRAWAT’ Platform ToM
• NITI Aayog isH
I Boost AI
working to set up India’s first AI-specific cloud
computing infrastructure called ‘AIRAWAT’ (AI Research, Analytics
and Knowledge Assimilation platform).
 Benefits of Cloud computing
• Cost Saving: In cloud computing users have to only pay for the services
they consumed. Maintenance cost is low as user do not need to purchase
the infrastructure.
D U
• Flexibility: Cloud computing is scalable. The rapid scale up and down in

I N
the operations of a business may require quick adjustment of hardware and

flexibility.
A B
resources. In order to manage this variations, cloud computing provide

I M
• Modifiable: Applications hosted in cloud can be modified internally

H
without too much concern of the end users. Change in one place would
reflect in all the places inherently and it would be consistent.
• Enhanced Security: Cloud computing provide high security through the
data encryption, strong access controls, key management, and security
intelligence.
 Issues in Cloud computing

U
• Security Concerns – Despite reasonable measures provided on

D
I N
cloud platforms, sensitive information stored on cloud can be stolen
by hackers.
• Need to meet several LegalA B
requirements.
I Mof information on cloud
H
• Maintaining the integrity
Q. With reference to Software as a Service (SaaS), consider the
following statements: (UPSC 2022 prelims)

fields
D U
1. SaaS buyers can customize the user interface and can change data

I N
2. SaaS users can access their data through their mobile devices

A B
3. Outlook, Hot mail and Yahoo mail are forms of SaaS
Which of the following statements are correct?
a) 1 & 2 only
I M
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) 1, 2 & 3
H
 INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT)
It can be defined as “the network of physical objects—“things”—that are
embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of
connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the
internet.
D U
•
N
In 1999, Kevin Ashton coined the term ‘Internet
I
of Things’.
•
B
It is made up of devices – from simple sensors to smartphones and wearables
– connected together.
A
I M
o Wearables – Smartwatches, Smart glasses, fitness bands etc.
H household appliances to the network.
o Homes – connecting
o Cars – vehicles that are connected to the internet.
o Cities – smart meters which analyse usage of water, gas, electricity etc.
• Between the capital city of New Delhi and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh,
the Vande Bharat Express – India’s first semi high-speed train – uses
a collision-avoidance system comprising sensors and other IoT
devices to prevent accidents due to human error or equipment failure.
U
• In Kohima, data collected from sensors and other IoT devices is being
D
N
used to manage street lighting, ensure public safety and deliver a slew
I
B
of citizen services.

A
• In agriculture, Tea Tantrum, a supplier of wellness and premium teas

M
in India, is using IoT technology to monitor moisture content and

HI
maintain the ingredient proportions of some of its products.
• The Indian IoT market is expected to reach US$9.28 billion by 2025
from US$4.98 billion in 2020, driven mostly by changes in enterprise
behaviour triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and verticals' focus
on automation are driving the market.
Potential applications of IoTs

D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 IoT - Issues

D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 Key IoT initiatives in India
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY, earlier referred as
DeitY) launched India’s first draft of IoT Policy Document in 2015 – It provides
comprehensive guide to help the organizations to develop IOT and to deal with
complex issues related top that development.
D U
I N
• National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) - 2018: Futuristic goals and
policy initiatives are undertaken by NDCP to address the problem of

A B
communication and access of digital services in India.
• Smart Cities Mission - 2015: Launched in 2015 to drive economic growth and
I M
improve quality of life by using technology.
H
• IoT Centre of Excellence (CoE) by NASSCOM (National association of
software and service companies) and MeitY : It is specifically designed to help
Indian IoT Start-ups to create market-leading products.
• IoT lab, a partnership between IIT Delhi and Samsung: MoU between IIT Delhi
and Samsung was signed in 2016, with the objective to enhance research
capabilities and industry collaboration in IoT space.
 EDGE COMPUTING
• It refers to bringing computing closer to the source of the data.
• Bringing computation and data storage closer to the sources of data. It

D U
minimizes the need for long distance communications between client and

N
server. It improves response tie and saves band width.
I
A B
• Edge computing is about processing data locally, and cloud computing is
about processing data in a data center or public cloud.” ( E.g., mobile

I M
computing, Internet of things, In vehicles)
• In edge computing, data is processed by the device itself or by a local
H
computer or server, rather than being transmitted to a data centre.
• Due to the increased use of technologies like IoT, AR/VR, robotics, machine
learning that require service provisioning closer to users, edge computing
helps solve the key challenges of bandwidth, latency, resiliency (dealing with
failures in cloud platforms), and data security.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 Difference between IOT & EDGE COMPUTING
• If the bus allows riders to swipe a card that informs the driver if the person has enough
credits on their card to allow them entry.
• On a traditional system, the card is swiped and the data is then transmitted (via a
wireless connection) to a centralized hub, where the computing is taken care of.
•
D U
The centralized server checks the user account, discovers they do have enough funds on

I N
their account, and transmits a response to the originating system, without having the

•
A B
bus to sync to a centralised server & compute data by itself, it’s simply an IoT device.
If, however, we add syncing to a centralized server to the localized computer, it IoT

I M
Edge Computing. In the IoT/Edge Computing environment, The passenger enters and
H
swipes their card. The Edge Computing device has already synced to the centralized
server and contains an updated database of information, so it immediately checks the
user’s account and arrives at an affirmative answer, so the rider is allowed on the bus.
• The Edge Computing example is much faster than the traditional example because it
doesn’t have to transmit any data during the transaction.
 BIG DATA
• It refers to the data that is large, contain diverse sets of information that grow at
ever-increasing rates.
• The different types of data originate from sensors, devices, video/audio,

D U
networks, applications, social media etc. in real time and at a very large scale.
Features of Big data:
I N
A B
• Volume: Big data is larger, with more complex data sets, usually acquired from
new data sources. High volumes of unstructured data of unknown value, such

I M
as Twitter data feeds or sensor-enabled equipment.
• Velocity: It is the rate at which data is received and become available.
H
• Variety: Data comes in variety of data types, such as text, audio, and video.
• Value: Data has intrinsic value.
• Veracity: It is about how accurate or truthful a data set is and how much can one
rely on it.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
 Uses of Big Data
• Product Development: Companies like Netflix and Amazon use big data
to anticipate customer demand.
• Customer Experience: Data can be gathered from social media, web

D U
visits, and other sources to improve the interaction experience and

N
maximize the value delivered.
I
A B
• Predictive maintenance: By analyzing the indications of potential issues
(like mechanical failures in vehicles) before the problems happen,

I M
organizations can deploy maintenance more cost effectively and

H
maximize parts and equipment uptime.
• Fraud and Compliance: Big Data helps in identifying patterns in data
that indicate fraud and aggregate large volumes of information to make
regulatory reporting much faster.
• Financial trading: Big data can be used to estimate the rates of return and
probably outcomes on investments.

D U
• Dealing with Pandemics like COVID-19: Big data is generated through the
accumulation of all the data related to the disease from around the world.
I N
Mathematical modeling of such data is being used to identify geographical

A B
hotspots, create death prediction models, provide estimates regarding

M
testing and the need for testing supplies, and guide decision-making among
I
H
policymakers, health care providers, and other key stakeholders.
 Issues/Challenges with Big Data
• This is a new set of complex technologies in the nascent stages of development
and evolution.
• Some of the commonly faced issues include inadequate knowledge about the

organizations.
D U
technologies involved, data privacy, and inadequate analytical capabilities of

I N
• Huge amount of data creates problems such as its storage and retrieval.

A B
• Unstructured data with increase in the number of data formats, complicates the
information and the amount of time needed to organize the data by ‘Data

I M
Scientists’ (Professionals who are skilled in organizing and analyzing massive
amounts of data).
H
• Finding the “needle in the haystack” – identifying the key information from the
massive data is always challenging and time consuming.
• This data is made available from numerous sources, and therefore has potential
security problems.
 DIGITAL INDIA PROGRAMME
• The Digital India programme was launched by the Prime Minister of India
on 1st July 2015.
• Aim: To transform India into a digitally empowered society.

D U
• An umbrella program that covers multiple ministries and departments,
coordinated by the Department of Electronics and Information
Technology (DeitY).
I N
eA
B
M
Governance

H I and services on
demand
Digital Digital
infrastructure empowerment
as a core utility of citizens
for citizens
Nine-pillars of Digital India

D U
I N
A B
I M
H

HIMA BINDU
1. Broadband highways –
• Connecting villages to a national optical fibre network.
• Virtual network operators / Mobile virtual network operators (Reseller of network
services) be leveraged for urban connectivity infrastructure.

government offices. D U
• A national information infrastructure for government. E.g. Interconnecting

I N
B
2. Universal access to mobile connectivity – To improve mobile network

MA
penetration and fill the connectivity gaps across the country. I.e., universal access to
mobile phones with network facility.

HI
3. Public internet access programme – Increase the number of common service
centres across the country and make them viable and convert post offices into multi-
service centres.
4. e-Governance –Reforming government through technology. E.g. Use of online
repositories like school certificates, voter ID cards so that citizens need not submit
them in physical form.
5. e-Kranti – Is a national e-Governance plan to accelerate e-Governance
across India. Several projects already in various stages of implementation for
the electronic delivery of services. E.g., e-Education, e- Health care, etc.
6. Information for all –
D U
I N
• Open Data platform and online hosting of information & documents to

A B
facilitate open and easy access to information for citizens.
• Government shall pro-actively engage through social media and web

I M
based platforms to inform citizens. E.g., MyGov.in has already been
H
launched as a medium to exchange ideas/ suggestions with Government. It
will facilitate 2-way communication between citizens and government
through a “Discuss”, “Do” and “Disseminate” approach.
• Online messaging to citizens on special occasions/programs would be
facilitated through emails and SMSes.
7. Electronics manufacturing – A target of net zero imports in electronics by
2020, with focus on microprocessor fabrication, Set top boxes, mobiles,
consumer & Medical electronics, Smart energy meters, smart cards and micro-
ATMs.
D U
I N
8. IT for jobs – Training youth with skills required for jobs in the IT/IT
Enabled Services sector.
9. Early harvest programmes A
B
– Projects that can be implemented in a short
period of time, including M
H I WiFi for all universities, public WiFi hotspots,
Biometric attendance systems for central government, SMS based weather
information and disaster alerts and the national portal for lost and found
children, schoolbooks to be e books etc.
 NOTABLE INITIATIVES UNDER DIGITAL INDIA PROGRAM

• Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) presents an alternative model to

D U
build digital technologies for population scale. Unlike proprietary
software, everyone has the freedom to edit, modify and reuse open-source
code.
I N
A B
• This results in many benefits — reduced costs, no vendor lock-in, the
ability to costomise for local context, and greater innovation through

I
wider collaboration.
M
H
• Indian government encourages open source instead of proprietary
technology for government applications.
• Many solutions launched by the government including Digilocker,
Diksha, Aarogya Setu, the Covid-19 vaccination platform CoWIN —
built on open-source digital platforms.
1. Digital Locker System:
Minimize the usage of physical documents and enable sharing of e-documents
across agencies. The sharing of the e-documents will be done through registered
U
repositories thereby ensuring the authenticity of the documents online.
D
I N
Q. Regarding 'Digi locker ', sometimes seen in the news which of the

A B
following statement is/are correct? (2016)
1. It is a digital locker system under Digital India Program.

M
2. It allows you to access your e-document irrespective of your physical location.
I
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
H
Select from the codes given below:

c) Both 1and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q. Consider the following (UPSC The DIKSHA platform offers teachers,
2022 prelims) students and parents engaging learning
1. Arogya setu material relevant to the prescribed school
2. CoWin
3. Digilocker
D U
curriculum. Teachers have access to aids
4. DIKSHA
I N like lesson plans, worksheets and

A B
Which of the above are built on top
of Open-source digital platforms?
activities, to create enjoyable classroom
experiences. Students understand
a) 1 & 2 only
I M concepts, revise lessons and do practice
exercises. Parents can follow classroom
b) 2, 3 & 4 only
c) 1, 3 & 4 only H activities and clear doubts outside school
hours.
d) 1, 2, 3, & 4
2. BHIM (Bharat interface for money) app & new modified version BHIM 2.0:
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched a
new version of BHIM app i.e., BHIM 2

D U
• Developed by National payments corporation of India.
• It is a unified payment interface (UPI) that allows real time fund transfer.
I N
• B
• New version supports 16 Indian languages.

A
Includes features like donation gateway, linking multiple bank accounts, gifting
money etc.
I M
•
H verification of transaction via Aadhaar to prevent
Uses 3-point authentication (Mobile number, device ID and UPI PIN) and
fingerprint based biometric
fraudulent transactions.
• BHIM app can replace existing mobile wallets and comparatively reliable option
for bank-to-bank transfer.
Q. With reference to digital payments, consider the following
statements: (2018)

D U
1. The Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app allows the user to transfer
money to anyone with a UPI-enabled bank account.

I N
2. While a chip-pin debit card has four factors of authentication, the BHIM

Which of the statements given A

B
app has only two factors of authentication.
above is/are correct?
I M
H
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. Aadhaar cards:
• An identity platform - one of the key pillars of ‘Digital India’.
• The largest biometrics-based identification system in the world.
• Every resident of the country is provided with a unique identity or Aadhaar number.

D U
• Used as a basis/primary identifier to roll out several Government welfare
schemes and programmes for effective service delivery thereby promoting
I N
transparency and good governance.

A B
• Aadhaar is 'Open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): This is government’s
approach to promote software interoperability for all e-governance applications and
systems.
I M
H
• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) allows third party developers
to access Aadhaar card number and related information. For e.g., it is used for e-
KYC purpose.
• (Note: In API, application stands for any software with a distinct function.
Interface is a contract of services between two applications).
Types of API:
• Open APIs, which any developer can access.
• Partner APIs, which only authorized developers may access.
• Internal APIs, which only internal teams may access.
• Composite APIs, which combine multiple APIs
D U
I N
Q. The identity platform ‘Aadhaar’ provides open application programming

A B
interfaces (APIs). What does this imply? (2018)
1. It can be integrated into any electronic device.

I M
2. Online authentication using the iris is possible.
H
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
4. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)
• To make citizens digitally literate.
• The project is expected to be one of the largest initiatives of the country

D U
with an overall target of training 6 crore students reaching 40% of
rural households, covering one household from every eligible family.

I N
• The government has accepted 250,000 Gram Panchayats to register at
least 200-300 candidates each.
A B
Bank accounts, Mobile I M and Aadhar cards of Indians are linked to
5. Jandhan-Aadhaar- Mobile[ JAM] initiative

H to intended beneficiaries and eliminate

numbers
directly transfer subsidies
intermediaries and leakages. It provided a digital identity to more than a
billion Indian citizens.
 6. BharatNet Project
• The project was originally started in 2011 as National Optical Fibre
Network (NOFN), renamed as BharatNet in 2015.

D U
• The project is being implemented by Bharat Broadband Network

I N
Limited (BBNL) under the administrative control of Telecom ministry.

India initiative. A B
The project is seen as a major breakthrough for the success of digital

Mdomestically manufactured products for the

The program aims toIuse
entire project. H
•

• The total cost of the project is expected to be more than 72000 crores.
Phases of Bharat Net project and revised plan
• The first phase of the project completed in Dec 2017, covering 1,22,908
Gram panchayats.

D U
The Bharat Net phase 2 is aimed at providing broadband connectivity to
N
•

all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats.

1,56,223 Gram Panchayats haveB
I
•

M A been made service ready by 31st May,

•
2021.
In June 2021, theH
I
Central government had revised BharatNet program to
expand the coverage to all inhabited villages in the country, with initial
approval to 16 states.
 SMART CITIES MISSION 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Smart Cities Mission in India on June 25,
2015. The project aims to improve the quality of life for people living in India and

D U
drive economic growth. Almost 31% of the population of India lives in cities, and they
contribute 63% of the GDP, as per the data collected in Census 2011. By 2030, around
I N
40% of India's will be living in cities and contribute 75% to the GDP. This mission of

A B
the government of India promises to improve the quality of life in 100 cities and towns.
National Smart Cities Mission Convention to be Held from 27th Sep to 29th Sep
2023 in Indore
I M
HCITY MISSION IN INDIA
FEATURES OF SMART
• It promotes mixed land use as per the area. With the mission, the states will have
more flexibility to use the land for various purposes. However, fulfilment of
environmental safeguards will be taken care of.
• It aims to expand housing opportunities for everyone.
• Smart Cities Mission visions to reduce congestion, ensure security, reduce air
pollution and promote interaction and local economy. New way for pedestrians are
built for walkers and cyclists to reduce accidents.

U
• Development of playgrounds, parks, open gyms and other recreational spaces is
another objective.
N D
I
• More transport options are promoted.
•

launched.
A B
To bring transparency and accountability in governance, more online services are

I M
Identity is provided to the city based on the education sector, health sector, local

• H
cuisine, sports, culture, art, furniture etc.
Smart Solutions are applied to infrastructure and services for area development.

SMART SOLUTION OF SMART CITIES MISSION

• Public information and grievance redressal
• Electronic service delivery
• Video crime monitoring
• Waste to compost, Waste to SMART CITIES MISSION HIGHLIGHTS
energy and fuel
• Smart meters and management
for water and electricity
Leakage identification, Water
D U Items Cost / Number

N Cities 100
•

quality monitoring
Renewable source of energy,BI Total Projects 7,742

A
•
Total Cost of Projects Rs. 1,81,561 Cr.
Energy efficiency and green
buildings
I M Completed Projects to Date 5,002

system H
Intelligent Traffic management Cost Involved in Completed
Projects
Ongoing Projects
Rs. 92, 561 Cr.

2,740
• Tele-medicine
Cost Involved in Ongoing
• Trade facilitation centers, Skill Rs. 89,000 Cr.
Projects
Development Centers.
FINANCING OF SMART CITY MISSION IN INDIA:
In total, the government has funded a sum of Rs 7,20,000 crore. On average Rs 100
crore per city over the five years. The scheme will be operated as a Centrally
Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on a 50:50 model between centre & state government or
Union Territories.
D U
INTEGRATED COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTERS:
I N
A B
• Under the Smart Cities Mission, inter alia, ICCCs (Integrated Command and
Control Centers) have been operationalized in all the 100 Smart Cities, which have

I M
been envisaged to act as the brain and nerve center of the enabling cities with a

•
H
decision support system for enhancing quality of life for its citizen.
These ICCCs are playing important role in ensuring better monitoring and
efficiency in areas like traffic management, solid waste management, Surveillance,
water distribution management, grievance redressal, management of the COVID-
19 pandemic etc.
 Challenges
§ Slow roll-out of Wi-Fi hotspots and the slow internet speeds.
Most small and medium scale industry is struggling to adapt to modern
U
§

D
technology.

I N
Entry level smartphones have limited capabilities for smooth internet
B
§

access, and the outreach of the ‘smartphones’ is limited.

There is an absence of enoughA
§

I M skilled manpower in digital technology.

§

§
H
Lack of user education and there are limited facilities to train personnel.
India needs over one million cybersecurity experts to check and monitor the
growing menace of digital crime.
 e-governance
Application of information and communication technologies in governance
process is referred to as “Electronic governance”
Kinds of interactions in e-governance

D U
• Within government (Govt-Govt & Govt-Employees)
• Govt-Citizens
I N
• Govt-Business

A B
Reasons for Opting e-Governance

I M
• Governance has become very complex
• Increase in citizens’ expectations from the government
Benefits H
Less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth,
and or cost reductions.
e-authentication, 2FA & MFA
The process of electronic verification of the identity of an entity.

D U
It provides a simple, convenient and secure way for the
§ Users to access government services via internet/mobile

I N
§ As well as for the government departments and agencies to assess the

A B
authenticity of the users.
Electronic authentication is accomplished based on the following factors:

I M
§ Knowledge - something the user knows (e.g. user name, password, PIN,

H
secret questions and answers, etc.);
§ Possession - something the user has (e.g. digital signature, smart card, etc.);
§ Be/ Inherence - something the user is (e.g. biometric fingerprint, iris
pattern, etc.); or a combination of the above.
Three kinds of authentication mechanisms:
• Single Factor Authentication: An authentication mechanism that utilizes
only one of the various factors (e.g., a user using username and password for
accessing an application).
D U
•

I N
Two Factor Authentication: An authentication mechanism where a

A B
combination of two factors is used (e.g., username and password as first factor
and One Time Password (OTP) / A token, material device that is used to

M
access secure systems. Common forms include a dongle, card, or RFID chip).
I
•

H
Multi-factor Authentication: An authentication mechanism where two or
more factors are used with one of the factors necessarily being the “Third
Factor – ‘Be’” which is something the user is (e.g., a user providing Aadhaar
number (first factor – “Knowledge”) and biometrics (third factor – “Be”) to
authenticate oneself).
Examples of e-governance projects
UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance):

U
• Developed and operated by National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of
D
N
Ministry of Electronics & IT

B I
• Launched in 2017 to bring all government services on a single mobile app.
• A
Single, unified, secure, multi-channel,
M
multi-platform, multi-lingual,

I
multi-service mobile app, powered by a robust back-end platform providing
H services of various organization (Central and State).
access to high impact
• About 660 services from 127 department & 25 states, including utility
payments are live and more are in pipeline.
• National Scholarships Portal (NSP): The portal is a one-stop solution to
implement end-to-end disbursement of the scholarship to the beneficiaries.
The process includes student registration, application, approval and
disbursement. 76 schemes of 22 Ministries/Departments of the Government
are being on-boarded on the portal.
D U
N
• Computerization of Land Records: In collaboration with National

BI
informatics centre, NIC. Ensuring that landowners get computerized copies
of ownership, crop and tenancy and updated copies of Records of Rights
(RoRs) on demand.
MA
HI
• e-Mandi: The Government has launched e-Mandi portal to make to reduce
the role of intermediaries and benefit small and marginal farmers.
• mKisan Portal: This is a unified platform using which officials and
scientists can send targeted text and voice-based advisories to the farmers on
a host of issues related to agriculture and its allied sectors.
 CYBERCRIMES
Cybercrime is any crime that takes place primarily online.
As per cybercrime website of Indian government, cybercrime is “any unlawful
act where computer or communication device or computer network is used to
commit or facilitate the commission of crime”.
D U
Types of cyberattacks:
I N
A B
• Malware: refers to malicious software, used by the attacker to compromise the
confidentiality, availability and integrity of data.

I M
Common types of malware are viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, ransomware,

H
adware etc. E.g., ‘Pegasus’ is a malware created by an Israeli firm and used
on WhatsApp platform to spy on journalists and human rights activists
in India in 2019.
• Ransomware – Ransomware is a malware where your computer or device is
locked until you pay a sum of money (e.g.: WannaCry in 2017)
• Phishing: a technique aiming to steal private information from users by
pretending as a trustful source, lures an individual to open a mail or
message, tricks the victims in to opening a malicious link which can lead to

D U
installation of malware that can reveal sensitive information.
• Hacking: Identifying weakness in computer systems or networks to gain

I N
access by skilled computer programmers. E.g.: Using password cracking

A B
algorithm to gain access to a system
• Identity theft: It involves acquiring key pieces of someone’s identifying

I M
information to impersonate them and commit various crimes in that person’s
name.
H
• DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service): It is a type of attack where the
attacker floods the victim (e.g., server, website etc.) with several connection
requests until the network gets trafficked and unable to function, causing
denial of service for the targeted resource.
• Cyberbullying– It is also a Cybercrime where computers, tablets, or mobile phones
are used to send, post, or share private, negative, or false information about someone
without their consent to cause embarrassment or humiliation.
• Crypto jacking– Here, the attacker breaks into a person’s computing device to

knowledge.
D U
extract money from the target in the form of cryptocurrency without their consent or

I N
• Cyber Espionage– Cyber espionage occurs when an attacker illicitly gains access to
B
a company’s or government’s sensitive data or intellectual property.
A
I M
Q. The terms 'WannaCry' 'Petya', and 'Eternal Blue' sometimes mentioned

H
in the news recently are related to (UPSC 2018)
a) Exoplanets
b) Cryptocurrency
c) Cyberattacks
d) Mini satellites
Some Examples of cybercrimes in news:
• Sim Swap fraud: Bangalore – in the name of upgrading sims from 3G to 4G –
gained access to the smart phone and to bank accounts.
• Government ID database, Aadhaar, reportedly suffered multiple breaches that
U
potentially compromised the records of all 1.1 billion registered citizens. It was
D
N
reported in January 2018 that criminals were selling access to the database.

BI
• The Kudankulam nuclear power plant was hacked using malware designed for
data extraction linked to a group that is known to have ties to two North Korean
backed groups.
MA
HI
• There has been a steep rise in the use of malware by a Chinese group called Red
Echo to target India’s power sector. Red Echo used malware called ShadowPad,
which gains access servers.
• The Chinese hacker group known as Stone Panda had “identified gaps and
vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure and supply chain software of Bharat
Biotech & Serum Institute of India.
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H
Laws Against Cybercrime in India
In addition to setting up a legal framework through IT Act, 2000 and National cyber
security policy in 2013, India launched following initiatives to control cybercrimes:

Government Initiatives to prevent Cyber Security

D U
N
v Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
I
B
v Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)

A
v Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative

M
v National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
v Cyber Swachhta Kendra
HI
v National Cyber Security Coordination Centre (NCCC)
v “National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre”
v “Information Security Education and Awareness Project” (ISEA)
 Digital Personal Data Protection Act - 2023
Applicability:
• The Bill applies to the processing of digital personal data within India where such data
is collected online, or collected offline and is digitised.

goods or services in India.

D U
• It will also apply to the processing of personal data outside India if it is for offering

Obligations of data fiduciary:

I N
A B
v Build reasonable security safeguards to prevent a data breach
v Inform the Data Protection Board of India and affected persons in the event of a breach

I M
v Erase personal data as soon as the purpose has been met and retention is not necessary
for legal purposes
H
v Personal data must be used by Data fiduciaries (those who collect the data) only in a
manner that is lawful, fair, transparent and limit its use to the intended purpose.
Data Principal’s (those who provide the data) consent must be obtained before collecting
their data. Data Principals can withdraw the consent, demand for correction and erasure
of the data.
• The bill allows the Government to notify the ‘Significant Data Fiduciary’ based on,
among other things, the volume and sensitivity of Personal Data processed by it.
• Data cannot be “stored perpetually by default” and storage should be limited to a
fixed duration.

D U
• It has also relaxed rules on cross-border data flows that could bring relief to the
big tech companies, alongside a provision for easier compliance requirements for
start-ups.
I N
A B
• Bill only prescribes monetary penalties for breaches and non- compliances with no
criminal liabilities, as well as no penalties that are directly linked to the turn-over or

I M
revenue of the Data Fiduciary in question.

H
• A Data Protection Board of India is proposed to be set up by the Central
Government to enforce the provisions of the DPD Bill.
• Like in the previous version, the Centre has been empowered to exempt its
agencies from adhering to provisions of the Bill in the interest of sovereignty and
integrity of India, security of the state, maintenance of public order or preventing
incitement to any cognizable offence.
Background:
• Aug 2017 - Privacy as a fundamental right (Article 21) was reaffirmed in Justice
KS Puttaswamy vs Union of India case by SC.
• July 2018 - Justice Srikrishna committee released draft personal data protection
Bill and report.
D U
N
• Dec 2019 - “Personal Data Protection Bill” was introduced in Parliament in and
I
A B
has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination.
• Dec 2021 – KPC released its report and a new version of the bill which is
withdrawn in Aug 2022.
I M
• Nov 2022 – Meity released draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill for public
consultation. H
• August 9, 2023, the Rajya Sabha “unanimously” passed the Digital Personal Data
Protection Bill (DPDP), 2023
• 11th August - received the assent of the President
 D U
I N
A B
I M
H