TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2. Major Port Authorities Act 2021 3. Longest Vessel to sail on Brahmaputra 4. 2D Semiconductor
1. Advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles
Syllabus: GS III, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Prelims: Green Hydrogen, National Hydrogen Energy Mission
Mains: Describing India’s transition to energy efficiency and independence.
Context: A project on hydrogen-based advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) has been inaugurated.
Image source: www.deshgujarat.com
Delving Deeper:
- This project is a testimony of India’s firm commitment to cleaner energy and a low carbon future in order to achieve sustainable economic growth.
- A project is being conducted by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited in association with the International Centre for Automotive Technology to study and evaluate the world’s most advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle, Toyota Mirai which runs on hydrogen.
- The usage of Green Hydrogen offers huge opportunities to decarbonise transportation and it is going to be a futuristic technology.
Image source: www.sciencedirect.com
Read about National Hydrogen Energy Mission in the linked article.
2. Major Port Authorities Act 2021
Syllabus: GS III, Infrastructure, Ports
Prelims: Major Ports of India
Mains: Effectiveness of the Major Port Authorities Act 2021
Context: The roles, functions and other information regarding the Major Port Authorities Act 2021 have been discussed in the Parliament.
Major Port Authorities Act 2021: Highlights
- This act provides for the regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports of India.
- The major ports, under this legislation, are strengthened to perform efficiently with enhanced autonomy in decision making and by modernising their institutional framework.
- The scale of rates for port services and assets are decided by these ports.
- The Public Private Partnership Concessionaires are free to fix tariffs based on market conditions.
- The Sagarmala Project provides a dedication towards port connectivity, intending to increase the connectivity between ports and domestic production.
- This act also plays a crucial role in boosting the development of port infrastructure which forms an integral part of the Maritime India Vision 2030.
To have a comprehensive understanding of the Major Port Authorities Act 2021, follow the link.
3. Longest Vessel to sail on Brahmaputra
Syllabus: GS III, Infrastructure, Ports
Prelims: IWAI, National Waterways of India
Mains: India’s progress in the development of port connectivity.
Context: A landmark achievement has been marked by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways as the MV Ram Prasad Bismil became the longest vessel to sail on the river Brahmaputra.
An Overview:
- The MV Ram Prasad Bismil, a 90 metre-long flotilla, was flagged off from Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port at Haldia.
- This longest vessel will sail on the Brahmaputra and will anchor at the Pandu Port after the completion of cargo movement from Haldia to the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
Image source: The Indian Express
Significance:
- With this landmark achievement, the way has been laid for the commencement of barging operations between Kolkata to Guwahati through the Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route.
- The Inland Waterways Authority of India as well as the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority worked in collaboration for the smooth cargo movement of the longest vessel, making the event a historic one.
- This is in line with the ambitious target of India to bring ‘Transformation through Transportation’.
Read about the National Waterways of India in the linked article.
Syllabus: GS III, Achievements of Indians in Science and Technology
Mains: Advancements in the field of semiconductor research in India.
Context: A DST-INSPIRE fellow of Jadavpur University, Kolkata is working on doping techniques for monolayer and bilayer 2D semiconductors which is expected to revolutionise the future of 2D electronics devices optimization.
What is a semiconductor?
- Semiconductors are integral components of electronic devices which facilitate communications, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation, clean energy and multiple other applications.
- They are sometimes referred to as integrated circuits (IC) or microchips which are usually made up of silicon or germanium or compounds like gallium arsenide.
- It is often said that semiconductors are considered a modern marvel with intangible engineering.
- There are two stages involved in the production of semiconductors: Design and Manufacturing. The companies that focus only on design are known as “fabless” firms and the firms that focus only on manufacturing are known as “foundries”.
- Semiconductors are used in smartphones, radios, TVs, computers, video games, and advanced medical diagnostic equipment.
About the Study:
- The current study is an alternative to the existing shortfalls of silicon technology in transistors, which has reached its limit.
- The unique study of 2D semiconductors is based on the oxide doping techniques for monolayer (1L) and bilayer (2L) which are stable, compatible along with high device performance.
- The theoretical aspect of fundamental insight of the substitutional doping in 2D materials has been touched upon along with doping enhancement using strain engineering and the effect of stacking order on metal/2D semiconductor contact that can assist in device optimization in the future.
- The 2L semiconductors are essential for next-generation electronic device applications because of their high degree of freedom such as stacking order.
- Stuy on the bilayer (2L) Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) confirmed that the choice of stacking order is crucial for the optimization of devices which is based on 2L transition metal dichalcogenides (a new form of 2D nanosheets).
- It has been ascertained that the dopant formation energy (Eform) is a critical parameter that influences the doping concentration.
- Efforts have been made to increase the doping concentration by the application of mechanical strain in transition metals like Tungsten diselenide monolayer.
- As the Government of India is pitching in for the growth of the semiconductor industry, this research work can contribute phenomenally to the progress of the semiconductor sector in India.
Image source: www.opli.net
Read previous PIB here.
March 15th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here
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