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Home / IAS Preparation / Emerging Technologies

Emerging Technologies: Meaning, List, Concerns & More

Last Updated on Nov 04, 2024
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Emerging Technologies entail innovations and developments that are presently being formulated and will impact the near future significantly in terms of social, economic, and environmental impacts. They involve technologies capable of altering or taking up new opportunities and solving the problems facing humanity at critical levels. From the simplest artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and others, emerging technologies represent the spearhead of modern innovations, shaping the next major revolution around the world.

The topic Emerging technologies is very relevant to the UPSC Civil Services Examination, particularly under General Studies Paper-III, which comprises Science and Technology, Environment, and Economic Development. It is indispensable that aspirants learn the implication of such technologies in social and economic development, environmental sustainability, as well as national security together with the regulatory frameworks and policy measures related to them.

GS Paper

General Studies Paper III

Topics for UPSC Prelims

Emerging Technologies, Government Initiatives on Technology, Technology and Innovation Hubs, National Policies on Technology Advancement, Key Emerging Technologies in India

Topics for UPSC Mains

Impact of Emerging Technologies on Economy and Society, Government Policies to Promote Technology, Challenges in Adoption of Emerging Technologies, Role in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Emerging Technologies Meaning

Emerging technologies are those developments that, within the current scenario, have only recently seen an upward trajectory but could change things quite drastically in many fields. These technological innovations constitute new paradigms that are constantly redefined by these very technologies. They include all items - disruptive digital technologies, advancements in materials science, biotechnology, energy, and manufacturing, among others.

Read the article on Information and Communication Technology (ICT)!

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List of Emerging Technologies in India

India, being one of the fastest-developing nations in the world, has adopted various emerging technologies to spur development and growth in several areas. Some of the main emerging technologies in India are listed below:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML have transformed industries like healthcare, agriculture, finance, and manufacturing by allowing predictive analysis, automation, and better decision-making.
  • Blockchain Technology: Mostly used in finance and supply chain management, blockchain ensures transparency, security, and traceability by using distributed ledgers.
  • Internet of Things (IoT): IoT provides for a smart future by interconnecting devices and systems, such as smart cities, industrial automation, and agriculture, using data exchange and real-time monitoring.
  • 5G Technology: Next-generation wireless technology promising much more speed, lower latency, and the enhancement of connectivity, which are all critical needs of digital transformation and smart infrastructure.
  • Renewable Energy Technologies: Advanced innovations in solar, wind, and bioenergy to transform the energy future of India.
  • Biotechnology and Genomics: Advances in genetic engineering, personalized medicine, and bioinformatics are revolutionizing health care and agriculture in India.
  • Quantum Computing: Quantum computing is still very much in its nascent stages but promises gigantic processing power; cryptography, AI, and solutions to really complicated problems.
  • Advanced Materials: Graphene, nanomaterials, and other innovations will enable new properties for the development of electronics, energy storage, and medical devices.

Read the article on the IndiaAI Mission!

Concerns Associated with Emerging Technologies

While the benefits of the emerging technologies are quite wonderful, they pose great challenges and concerns:

  • Ethical Considerations: Artificial intelligence and genetics, create scientific dilemmas over issues of privacy, consent, and misuse. These new technologies leave economic displacement and potential cyber threats behind them as they advance with them as well.
  • Security Risks: Just like how digital technologies progress, so do the potentials of cyber threats, which require more intense cybersecurity measures.
  • Economic Displacement: With reskilling of the workforce with automation and AI, there comes the problem of job displacement.
  • Regulatory Challenges: The regulatory frameworks take ages before they can adapt to new emerging technologies, which leaves loopholes in the already implemented legislation and oversight.
  • Digital Divide: There is a growing issue of digital divide where people within societies gain unequal access to the emerging technologies and ultimately exacerbate social and economic inequalities.
  • Environmental Impact: Technologies like blockchain and data centers will highly have an energy footprint that needs to be sustainable.

Read the article on the Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) Technologies!

Government Initiatives for Emerging Technologies

The Government of India has launched several initiatives to foster the development and deployment of emerging technologies:

  • National AI Strategy: Leverage AI for inclusive growth and make India a global leader in AI research and application
  • Digital India Programme: This is an initiative to build a digital India with focussed enablers and empowerment through digital services. This program attempts to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy through the widespread adoption of digital technologies.
  • Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): This shall comprise innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives to support start-ups and R&D in emerging technologies.
  • Blockchain Technology Framework: The MeitY is working to create a national blockchain framework that will observe and evaluate blockchains applications.
  • National Quantum Mission: It was in 2020 that the mission regarding quantum computing technologies and quantum communication networks was first publicly announced.
  • Renewable Energy Missions: Such as a national mission for renewable energy that envisages programs like the National Solar Mission-aiming to increase the usage of renewable energy technologies in the entire country.
  • IoT Policy: IoT India sets up an ecosystem of government projects, standards, and other regulatory measures through the IoT India: Vision 2020 initiative.

Read the article on the National Quantum Mission!

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Way Forward

Multi-pronged approach can utilize emerging technologies such as:

  • Policy and Regulation: A holistic and dynamic policy can help track technological advancement by holding an ethical and security-related outlook.
  • Invest in R&D: Increase public and private sector investment in research and development, thereby maintaining a competitive position in the global arena.
  • Education and Skills Reskilling : There will be upskilling and reskilling of the workforce to prepare for these emerging new technological ecosystems.
  • Public Private Partnerships : Encourage government, industry, and academia to collaborate to deploy and apply emerging technologies at a rapid pace.
  • Infrastructure Development: Better digital and physical infrastructure support a wide adoption of new technologies.
  • Sustainability Practices: Promoting the adoption and application of emerging technologies in a sustainable manner that reduces impacts on the environment.

Key Takeaways for UPSC Aspirants

  • Technological Advancements: Focuses on the impact of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, IoT, blockchain, quantum computing, and biotechnology.
  • Economic Growth: Highlights the role of emerging technologies in driving economic growth and increasing productivity.
  • Job Creation: Emphasis on the potential for new job opportunities and markets created by technological innovations.
  • Security Implications: Addresses security challenges and considerations arising from the adoption of new technologies.
  • Regulatory Frameworks: The pressure to institute appropriate regulatory frameworks in handling ethical and security issues associated with emerging technologies.
  • Public-Private Partnerships: Important collaborations between the government, private sector, and academia in push-front areas of research and development in technology.
  • The Sustainable Development Goals: Emerging technologies' role in achieving the SDGs as a reaction to some of the innovative solutions they offer.
  • Innovation ecosystems: Innovation ecosystems like incubators, accelerators, and funding mechanisms to foster technological progress.

We hope your doubts regarding the topic have been addressed after going through the above article. Testbook offers good quality preparation material for different competitive examinations. Succeed in your UPSC IAS exam preparations by downloading the Testbook App here!

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Emerging Technologies UPSC FAQs

There is no specific 'Institute of Emerging Technologies' as various institutes and research centers all over the world are working on emerging technologies.

AI, Blockchain, IoT, 5G, Quantum Computing, and Advanced Biotechnology are the latest emerging technologies.

Some of the emerging trends in the IT sector are Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity advancements, Blockchain Technology, Internet of Things, etc.

At the core lie AI, IoT, 5G, renewable energy technologies, and biotechnology-a combination of edge-of-the-curve technologies for AI, IoT, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, and Biotechnology, respectively.

Emerging technology refers to innovation whose adoption is at a nascent stage and which could highly influence various sectors in numerous ways by opening new growth opportunities and solving complex problems.
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