Chips to Startup (C2S) Program

The Union government authorised a Rs 76,000 crore initiative in December 2021 to enhance semiconductor and display manufacturing in India, also with the goal of positioning India as a worldwide centre for hi-tech production and recruiting multinational chip manufacturers. In the next six years, India will establish up approximately 20 semiconductor design, parts production, and display fabrication (fab) facilities under this programme.

The topic has a very high chance of being asked in IAS Prelims as a Science and Technology Question or Current Affairs Question, as it has been in the news recently.

Note: UPSC 2023 is approaching closer, supplement your preparation with the free Daily Video Analysis of The Hindu Newspaper by BYJU’S.

About Chips to Startup Program

The federal government is requesting applications from 100 startups, MSMEs, R&D firms, and academics to train 85,000 engineers in the domains of very large-scale integration (VLSI) as well as embedded system design under the Chip to Start-up (C2S) Program

  • Over the course of five years, the C2S programme will result in the production of 175 ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), an IP core repository, as well as functional prototypes of 20 systems on chips (SoC).
  • By injecting the ethos of SoC/System Level Design at the Bachelors, Masters, and Research levels, it will be a step toward advancement in the Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) sector.
  • The programme also covers every aspect of the electronics value chain, including quality personnel training, research and development, system design, hardware IP design, prototyping, application-oriented research and development, and implementation.
  • It will also aid in the development of fabless design start-ups.
  • Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is the nodal agency for the C2S program’s implementation. C-DAC is a scientific organisation working under MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology).

List of Current Affairs Articles for UPSC

Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)

An Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) is an integrated circuit (IC) chip that is tailored to a specific application rather than being designed for general usage. An ASIC is, for example, a chip that runs in a digital voice recorder or a cryptocurrency miner.

Systems on Chips (SoC)

An Integrated Circuit (also known as a “chip”) which integrates all or most of the parts of a computer or other electronic system is referred to as a “Systems on Chips”. A central processing unit (CPU), primary memory, input/output ports, and secondary storage are nearly usually included, together with other components like radio modems and a graphics processing unit (GPU), all on a single substrate or microchip. It could potentially have other components as well. In contrast to the conventional motherboard based computer design, which isolates components by functions and connects them via a central interface circuit board, SoCs are integrated circuits. SoCs combine all of these components onto a single integrated circuit, whereas a motherboard holds and links removable or replaceable components.

Note: UPSC 2023 is approaching closer, keep yourself updated with the latest UPSC current affairs where we explain the important news in a simplified manner.

Note: You can make your current affairs revision robust using Free Monthly Magazines by BYJU’s.

Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI)

The technique of crafting an integrated circuit (IC) by merging millions of MOS transistors upon a single chip is known as Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI). VLSI devices are used in the microprocessor and memory chips. Prior to the development of VLSI technology, most ICs could only perform a restricted range of functions. A CPU, ROM, RAM, and other glue logic may be found in an electronic circuit. VLSI allows IC designers to combine all of these functions into a single chip.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

A Proof of Concept (POC) is a brief activity that is used to validate a design concept or assumption. The main goal of creating a PoC is to show how something works and to validate that a given concept or theory can be realised in development. Prototyping is a useful activity which allows the innovator to picture how the product will work; it’s a functional interactive model of the final product that shows the design, navigation, and layout. A prototype, unlike a proof of concept, demonstrates how a product or feature will be built.

About C-DAC

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is a self-governing scientific society in India that reports to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing Technology (C-DACT) was founded in November 1988. When the US government refused to sell to India a Cray supercomputer in the year of1988 because of concerns that it would be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. As a result, India began developing its own supercomputer, and C-DAC was born out of this effort. In 2003, C-DAC amalgamated the National Centre for Software Technology, the Electronic Research and Development Centre, and CEDTI.

Note: You may get all the Science and Technology questions of the UPSC Mains exam by visiting the attached link.

Recent Developments

  • MeitY has invited applications under the program recently.
  • Technology Readiness Level (TRL) as well as design experience submissions are sought in three categories under the Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme, depending on the Institutions’ expertise:
    1. SoC/ASIC/Reusable IP Core/Design and Development of System
    2. IP/ASIC/SoC/Development of Application Oriented Working Prototypes and
    3. FPGAs/Proof of Concept based Research and Development of ASICs.

Start your IAS Exam preparation by understanding the UPSC Syllabus in depth and planning your approach accordingly.

Related Links:

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar India State of Forest Report, 2021
List of Current Affairs Articles for UPSC Reforms in Criminal Justice System of India
Amar Jawan Jyoti National Educational Alliance for Technology
United Nations (UN) Principal Organs Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published.

*

*