Nanotechnology: Concepts, Applications and National Policies in India

Nanotechnology deals with the manipulation of matter at the nanoscale, typically between 1 and 100 nanometers. At this scale, materials show properties different from their bulk form because of their very high surface-area-to-volume ratio and quantum effects.

These features make nanotechnology relevant to medicine, electronics, agriculture, water treatment, and advanced materials. In India, the field is supported by government missions, research institutions, and sector-specific regulatory systems.

Core Concepts

• Nanometer scale: One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter (10^-9 m).
• Surface-to-volume ratio: As size decreases, surface area becomes dominant, often increasing chemical reactivity and catalyst efficiency.
• Quantum confinement: At the nanoscale, electronic properties change due to quantum effects, as seen in phenomena like fluorescence in quantum dots.
• Modified properties: Nanomaterials may show enhanced mechanical strength, altered optical behavior, and higher biological activity compared to bulk materials.

Major Applications

• Medicine: Targeted drug delivery using systems such as liposomes and dendrimers.
• Water purification: Use of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes for improved filtration and treatment.
• Electronics: Applications in graphene, nanowires, and other miniaturized components.
• Agriculture: Nano-pesticides and nano-fertilizers for improved input efficiency.
• Materials science: Stronger, lighter, and more durable advanced materials for industrial use.

Nanotechnology Policy in India

• Nano Science and Technology Initiative (NSTI): Launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2001 to promote research and development in nanotechnology.
• National Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission): Started in May 2007 as an umbrella programme for capacity building, infrastructure development, and international collaboration.
• National Programme on Nano Science and Technology (NPNST): After the second phase of the Nano Mission ended on March 31, 2017, the programme was converted into NPNST under the DST.
• Funding support: DST supports basic research through schemes such as Advanced Materials and offers the DST-Nano Mission Postdoctoral Fellowship in Nano Science and Technology.
• Age limit for fellowship: The postdoctoral fellowship is available to researchers under 40 years of age.
• Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST): Established in 2013 in Mohali, Punjab, as an autonomous institution under the Nano Mission.

Regulatory and Governance Framework

• No single law: India does not have one comprehensive legislation or one dedicated regulatory authority covering all nanotechnology sectors.
• Sectoral regulation: Oversight is divided among sector-specific regulators.
• FSSAI: Regulates food-related safety aspects.
• CDSCO: Oversees pharmaceuticals, including nanopharmaceuticals.
• CPCB: Monitors environmental risk aspects linked to nanomaterials.
• Nanopharmaceutical guidelines: On October 24, 2019, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the Guidelines for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals in India.
• Purpose of the 2019 guidelines: They provide a pathway for assessing the safety, quality, and efficacy of nanoformulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
• Fertiliser regulation: Nano-fertilisers are brought under the Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) Control Order (FCO), 1985, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Important Norms for Nano-Fertilisers

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Size range: Nanotechnology generally deals with particles between 1 and 100 nanometres.
• Core scientific reason: Nanoscale materials behave differently because of the surface-to-volume ratio and quantum effects.
• Quantum dots: Fluorescence in quantum dots is a standard example of quantum confinement.
• Institutional framework: India’s nanotechnology policy support has moved from NSTI to the Nano Mission and then to NPNST.
• Research support: DST provides funding support and a postdoctoral fellowship for eligible researchers under 40 years of age.
• Regulatory structure: Regulation is sectoral, with CDSCO, FSSAI, CPCB, and the agriculture ministry handling different aspects.
• FCO condition: Nano-fertiliser approvals require at least 50% of constituent particles to be below 100 nanometres.