PIB Summary- 24th February, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Sansad Ratna Awards

Why in News?
Recently, the Prime Minister of India congratulated fellow Members of Parliament who will be conferred the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023.

About Sansad Ratna Awards

• The Sansad Ratna Awards were instituted in 2010, inspired by the teachings of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who launched the first edition of the Award function in Chennai.
• The Jury Committee has chosen a total of 13 MPs and two parliamentary committees for the award, with a lifetime award being presented for the first 2023 awards.
• The jury committee comprises “eminent Parliamentarians and (members of) civil society”.
• The nominations were based on an MP’s cumulative performance in Parliament, from the beginning of the 17th Lok Sabha until the end of Winter Session 2022
• Factors that the decision is based on include questions asked, private members’ Bills introduced, debates initiated, attendance, funds utilised, etc.
• The performance data of the members have been sourced from information provided by PRS Legislative Research.

Lab Grown Diamonds

Why in News?
Five-year research grant to encourage indigenous production of lab-grown diamonds (LGD) machinery, seeds and recipe given to IIT-Madras.

What are lab grown diamonds?

• Lab grown diamonds are diamonds that are produced using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.
• They are not the same as “diamond simulants” – LDGs are chemically, physically and optically diamond and thus are difficult to identify as “lab grown.”
• While materials such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, etc. are “diamond simulants” that simply attempt to “look” like a diamond, they lack the sparkle and durability of a diamond and are thus easily identifiable.
• However, differentiating between an LDG and an Earth Mined Diamond is hard, with advanced equipment required for the purpose.

How are LDGs produced?

• The most common (and cheapest) is the “High pressure, high temperature” (HPHT) method.
• As the name suggests, this method requires extremely heavy presses that can produce up to 730,000 psi of pressure under extremely high temperatures (at least 1500 celsius).
• Usually graphite is used as the “diamond seed” and when subjected to these extreme conditions, the relatively inexpensive form of carbon turns into one of the most expensive carbon forms.
• Other processes include “Chemical Vapor Deposition” (CVD) and explosive formation that creates what are known as “detonation nanodiamonds”.

What are Lab-Grown Diamonds (LDGs) used for?

• LDGs have properties similar to natural diamonds, including their optical dispersion which gives them the diamond sheen.
• They are often used for industrial purposes in machines and tools due to their hardness and extra strength.
• LDGs have high thermal conductivity but negligible electrical conductivity which makes them valuable for electronics.
• With the depletion of natural diamonds, LDGs are becoming a replacement for the precious gemstone in the jewelry industry.
• The growth in production of LDGs does not affect India’s established diamond industry that involves polishing and cutting of diamonds.