FST - 1

16th Part

Q.  What is a laser? Discuss the applications of lasers.                

A.  LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser light is made up of waves of light of the same wavelength. Because of the coherent property of laser, light waves in a laser beam can travel large distances without spreading apart. Because a laser beam does nor spread out there is a large concentration of energy per unit area on the object on which the laser beam falls.

Applications of lasers - 

Industry - 

  Because of the high concentration of energy, a laser beam can quickly burn and make tiny holes, a few millimeters wide, even in a strip of steel. Lasers have an advantage over all other traditional methods of cutting and welding. Using lasers we can cut any kind of material. such as paper, plywood, leather, plastic or cloth, as also the hardest of metals, ceramics, and glass with greater efficiency and accuracy. Lasers can, thus, make an ideal tool of cutting in the industrial sector tool for metal workers, carpenters and tailors, apart from engineers.

Military -

         A whole range of laser weaponry has been created, for use on land, on the sea and in space. X-ray lasers that can carry enormous energy have been developed. Efforts are on to install deadly laser weapons in satellites. The same technology could be used to destroy factories, forests, farms, and habitation.

Medicine - 

         A laser can be applied with almost perfect precision in surgery. It can bum away diseased tissue without damaging the healthy tissue nearby. The tissues are cut neatly and without any oozing of blood, and they can also be joined together. Lasers are completely sterile because bacteria cannot survive exposure to a laser beam. Today, lasers are routinely used in eye surgery to treat detached retinas and to destroy abnormal blood vessels that form in the retinas of diabetic patients. Lasers are also used for ear, eye and other delicate forms of surgery. From removing brain tumours to stopping bleeding from ulcers, and treating cancer of the bladder, lasers find enormous use in the medical sector.

Communications -

       Lasers have brought a revolution in the long-distance communication. Traveling through hair-like glass fibres, laser light can be made to carry thousands of times more information than electric signals in conventional copper wire. Thousands of telephone calls can be transmitted on a single fibre.

Other Uses -

         Laser beams are used to run music and video pictures on records that look like ordinary gramophone records. Such records can be played by a laser beam without getting wear out. Lasers may be used to measure the distance of objects like the moon from the earth.

Q.  Discuss the problems faced by any country when it imports technology from another country.               

A. Some of the problems faced by any country when it imports technology from another country are -

#  The buying of technology is very expensive. Take, for example, the buying of the latest defense aircraft from France. Though we have saved money and time by skipping through the various stages of research and development, we still have to pay large sums of money to buy these aircraft outright. This is because the price includes the developmental expenditure that France incurred in this connection. Further, the R & D structure within the country also remains undeveloped.

#  Imported technology often comes with restrictions or "political strings" attached to it by the supplier. For example, India used to import enriched uranium from the United States to use in its fission reactors. A time came when the US Government insisted that we sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. As India refused to do so the US stopped the supply.

#  The supplier often unloads obsolete technology on the recipient, sometimes at a very high cost. Since the receiving country does not have the technology, it may not even know how outdated the offered technology may be. An example is the automobile industry in which we continue to be saddled with models that are no more in demand in the developed countries or in the parent country.

#  The receiving country may permanently have to depend on the donor country, especially in crucial areas like defense equipment. The donor may sell a modern defense aircraft, but with the condition that the receiver always buys the spares and ancillaries from them. This way the receiving nation will not be allowed to be self-sufficient. 

#  When a country imports technology from more than one country for an industry, then the spare parts may not fit into various models. As you know, the technology for Maruti, Fiat, and Ambassador cars was imported from three different countries, namely, Japan. Italy and Britain; and the spare parts of one don't fit into the others. Since spare parts of one don’t fit into the other, thus the cost of production increases.

#  A multi-national corporation of a developed nation may give technological know-how to a developing nation with the restriction that the knowledge is not to be shared with other developing nations. This way they maintain their direct hold over different countries.

Q.  What is 'Technology Transfer'? Explain briefly the three ways by which technology may be transferred.  

A.  Technology transfer is the process of transferring technology from the places and in groups of its origination to wider distribution among more people and places. There are three ways in which we can transfer technology_

#  import of technology,

#  Transfer of technology from the laboratory to the field, and

#  export of technology from India.

Import of technology -

This form of technology transfer involves transferring of the essential expertise associated with the capabilities of more developed nations to the lesser developed nations, who require it for accelerated industrialization. This can be done in several ways: through licensing, joint ventures with foreign firms, direct foreign investments, etc. Its efficiency depends on many factors like the supplier's ability and desire to transfer, the recipient's capacity and desire to absorb, the recipient's socio-economic and cultural environment and communications processes.

Transfer of technology from the laboratory to the field -

It has been the policy of the Government of India, from the time of Independence, to achieve self-reliance by developing indigenous technology in as many areas of Industry as possible. We, therefore, had created a chain of the lab in all areas. The National Research and Development Corporation of India(NRDC) was set up In 1953 for facilitating the transfer of technology from the laboratories of national R & D institutes to the field. These institutes often provide the indigenous technology developed in house for commercial exploitation to NRDC.

Export of technology from India -

India has gained experience and expertise in various fields of technology. Thus, we are in a position to assist a lot of developing nations in the process of technological advancement. India exports technology to a large number of Asian, Middle-Eastern, African & Latin American nations. This is in the form of technological know-how or machinery.

Q.  Prepare a detailed account of the application of science and technology in small scale industries.             

Q.  With the help of two examples discuss the importance of technology in small scale industries            

A.  Science and technology are equally important in the handicrafts and small scale Industry as in large industries. Improved technology results in improved productivity in terms of capital investment and human resource requirements. The use of electric power and electronic machines in small scale and village level industries leads to efficiency in production and maintaining the quality possible. Moreover, the goods produced from these small scale industries become the feed material for large scale production units. This has been done partially in India, in states like Punjab and Haryana. In the engineering sector, the small scale industries provide finished goods in the form of required spare parts, etc to large industries as and also, this method is replicated to a smaller extent in other states. 

        The role of technology in improved productivity will always be a major role and there will be a need for skilled human resource for this. But a part of them may be deployed in training human resources for the village level industries, miniaturization of machines, and using the right type of electronic or other devices for working them. Infrastructure for creation of skilled human resource already exists in the form of Industrial Training Institutions, Polytechnics and the training centers of different industries. These have to be strengthened and re-oriented to serve the present-day needs of the small scale industries. 

Q.  What do you understand by "turnkey" technology? State its impact on India.

A.  Most of our industries in our country are dependent on imported technology for the production of goods. Often industry prefers to have "turnkey" technology, that is, technology and machines which can be installed and can start producing on turning a key or pushing a button. The establishment of turnkey industries has reduced the job opportunities for engineers and technologists who are being trained in our institutions. The result is that many of our skilled, technical personnel and scientists have to seek opportunities abroad in developed countries which leads to brain drain. Due to brain drain, our country loses lots of money every year, as the expense incurred on the training of these persons. This also leads to the loss of much needed technical human resources in India. 

Q.  a) Science and Technology for National Development           

(b) Robotics 

A. a)  The use and development of technology must relate to people's aspirations. Our own immediate needs in India are the attainment of technological self-reliance, a swift and tangible improvement in the conditions of the weakest sections of the population and the speedy development of backward regions of our country. Technology must suit local needs and, to make an impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. It must be used to bring in even small improvements by using the already existing raw material in abundance in the most cost-effective way. Our development must be based on our own culture and people’s need. We must have competent scientific and technological personnel, who should be well-versed in modern knowledge and "know-how". They should be able to innovate according to our needs and develop new technology. For example, they should be able to harness sources of energy which are in abundance in our country such as solar energy. 

b)   The science of designing, building and using robots is called robotics. The robots in use today are basically computerized machines that can be programmed to do a variety of tasks. For example, a robot can drill holes of several different sizes. Robots are also made to cut metal sheets, sort different vegetables, shear sheep, pluck chickens, form rice cakes and assemble mechanical parts. Robotic trains carry commuters to and fro from work. Robots can even assemble delicate watches and computer components. In factories, robots do spot welding and spray painting. A robot can also be programmed to change from one job to another and can be 'taught' to handle new tasks. For example, the same robot could drill a hole as well as place bolts into the holes drilled by it. Hence, a robot is a computerized, multifunctional and re-programmable machine that performs a large variety of tasks.