Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 13 February 2025 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
India is swiftly achieving excellence in the technologies of future. With the successful development of indigenous semiconductor chips in aerospace applications, India is now standing at the forefront. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) joined hands in the development of the chip.
The chip, named IRIS (Indigenous RISC-V Controller for Space Applications), is based on the SHAKTI microprocessor and is part of India’s push for self-reliance in semiconductor technology.
The SHAKTI microprocessor project is led by Professor V Kamakoti at the Prathap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture (PSCDISHA), Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Madras. SHAKTI systems use RISC-V, an open-source processor technology, and are supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the ‘Digital India RISC-V’ (DIRV) initiative.
KEY FEATURES OF IRIS CHIP

• Developed to support ISRO’s command and control systems and other critical functions.
• Designed for fault tolerance and reliability, making it suitable for space missions.
• Includes custom modules like WATCHDOG timers and advanced serial buses.
• Can be expanded for future missions through multiple boot modes and hybrid memory extensions.
• Fully Made in India

HOW THE CHIP MANUFACTURING BOOSTED 'MAKE IN INDIA' INITIATIVE

The IRIS chip was conceived by IISU Thiruvananthapuram, designed by IIT Madras, and manufactured at SCL Chandigarh. The chip packaging was done by Tata Advanced Systems in Karnataka, while the motherboard was made in Gujarat and assembled in Chennai.
The software for the processor was developed at IIT Madras, where the chip was successfully booted.
Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, emphasized that this is the third SHAKTI chip successfully fabricated in India after RIMO in 2018 and MOUSHIK in 2020.
Dr V Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, called it a milestone in India’s semiconductor development and praised the teams at IISU and IIT Madras.
Kamaljeet Singh, Director General of SCL Chandigarh, highlighted that the IRIS chip was built using SCL’s 180 nm technology node, demonstrating India’s growing capability in semiconductor manufacturing.
This development marks a significant step toward self-reliance in space and semiconductor technology, reinforcing India's efforts under the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
[Excerpt from India Today "IIT Madras and ISRO Develop IRIS Chip" Dated 13/02/25]
Q1: What is the primary purpose of the IRIS chip developed by IIT Madras and ISRO?
(a) Enhancing mobile network connectivity
(b) Enabling high-speed computing for financial applications
(c) Supporting space applications with aerospace-quality reliability
(d) Improving semiconductor fabrication for consumer electronics

View Answer  

Ans: (c)
Sol: The IRIS chip is specifically designed for space applications, featuring fault-tolerant internal memories and custom functional modules.

Q2: Under which initiative was the SHAKTI project supported?
(a) Make in India Initiative
(b) Digital India RISC-V Initiative
(c) National Supercomputing Mission
(d) Bharat Semiconductor Mission

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: The SHAKTI project is supported under the ‘Digital India RISC-V’ initiative, which promotes indigenous microprocessor development.

Q3: Where was the IRIS chip fabricated?
(a) Tata Advanced Systems, Karnataka
(b) Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh
(c) IIT Madras, Tamil Nadu
(d) ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: The chip was fabricated at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh and later packaged by Tata Advanced Systems in Karnataka.

Q4: What is a key feature of the IRIS chip that enhances its reliability?
(a) High-speed AI processing
(b) Fault-tolerant internal memories
(c) Quantum encryption capability
(d) Liquid cooling technology

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: The IRIS chip includes fault-tolerant internal memories, which improve its reliability, making it suitable for space missions.

Q5: How does the IRIS chip contribute to India’s semiconductor ecosystem?
(a) It enables direct collaboration with foreign semiconductor firms
(b) It reduces India’s reliance on imported aerospace chips
(c) It primarily supports commercial smartphone development
(d) It focuses on cryptocurrency mining applications

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: The development of the IRIS chip strengthens India’s self-reliance in semiconductor technology and aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.