8 June/12/2018

8.1 Geo-Spatial Information system (GIS):

• A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to
capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial
or geographic data.
• India has long been a leader in using —bfmodern spatial tech-
nologies and started its tryst with satellite images and GIS in
the 1980s by having its own Indian Remote Sensing satel-
lites and image-based mapping and creating GIS databases and
applications.
• In the early 2000s, it took steps toward designing a National
Spatial Data Infrastructure. With a large talent pool and many
veterans providing the vision, leadership, and drive, now a na-
tional movement has taken shape in India’s next-generation GIS
program — National GIS.

8.2 Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS):

• Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an integrated bill pay-
ment system in India offering interoperable and accessible
bill payment service to customers through a network of
agents of registered member as Agent Institutions (AI),
enabling multiple payment modes, and providing instant confir-
mation of payment.
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will
function as the authorised Bharat Bill Payment Central
Unit (BBPCU), which will be responsible for setting business
standards, rules and procedures for technical and business re-
quirements for all the participants.

8.3 PRAGATI:
• PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Imple-
mentation) is a unique integrating and interactive platform.
• It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries,
and Chief Secretaries of the States)

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 • The system will ride on, strengthen and re-engineer the data
bases of the CPGRAMS for grievances, Project Monitoring
Group (PMG) and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.
• PRAGATI provides an interface and platform for all these three
aspects.
• The platform is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances,
and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important pro-
grammes and projects of the Government of India as well as
projects flagged by State Governments.
• The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest tech-
nologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing
and geo - spatial technology.
• It also offers a unique combination in the direction of coopera-
tive federalism since it brings on one stage the Secretaries of
Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the States.

Upar point 8.1 se lekar 8.3 tak YOJANA JUNE - 2018

se hain..e-Kranti Chapter se..Niche sab The Hindu se hain

8.4 Agrostar :
• AgroStar is India’s leading direct-to-farmer digital platform
where farmers can procure quality agri inputs at fair price just
by using a mobile phone.
• Indian farmers face multiple challenges in procuring agri inputs
for their farming needs.
• AgroStar aims to simplify the whole Agri-Business experience of
farmers in Rural India by addressing the challenges of Indian
farmer through smart and innovative uses of technology.
• AgroStar focuses on four consumer centric pillars Genuine and
quality products, fair pricing, agri advisory solutions and quality
service.
• AgroStar differentiates itself from conventional players through
extensive utilization of technology and data to build scalable
systems and processes.
• This will help farmers take proactive steps towards effective crop
management versus addressing problems reactively post-occurrence.

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8.5 What is AI ‘garage’ ? and
• kickstarting the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in
India
• AI is the use of computers to mimic human cognitive processes
for decision-making.
• The paper talks of powering five sectors agriculture, education,
health care, smart cities/infrastructure and transport with AI.
• It highlights the potential for India to become an AI ‘arage’, or
solutions provider, for 40% of the world.

8.6 CRISPR-Cas9:
• CRISPR-Cas9 triggers a mechanism designed to protect cells
from DNA damage, making gene editing more difficult
• CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-editing technology that is being explored
by scientists worldwide as a way of removing and replacing gene
defects might inadvertently increase cancer risk in cells.
• CRISPR is a family of DNA sequences in bacteria and archaea.
The sequences contain snippets of DNA from viruses that have
attacked the prokaryote.
• These snippets are used by the prokaryote to detect and destroy
DNA from similar viruses during subsequent attacks.
• These sequences play a key role in a prokaryotic defense sys-
tem, and form the basis of a technology known as CRISPR/Cas9
that effectively and specifically changes genes within organisms.

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