Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules 15th January 2019

Science and Technology ISRO developing technology to reuse first & second stages of rocket

Relevance IN – Prelims( facts regarding this new technology) + Mains ( GS

Paper III – awareness in the field of Space + indigenization of technology)

Know! the important facts

ISRO is working on reusable launch technology for using the first and

second stages of a rocket multiple times

To master this technology, ISRO will conduct an advanced version of the

reusable launch technology test in June-July

What’s the NEWS

In a bid to cut cost of satellite launchers, Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) is working on reusable launch technology for

using the first and second stages of a rocket multiple times.

To master this technology, ISRO is going to conduct an advanced

version of the reusable launch technology (RLV) test in June-July.

Know! all about the reusable launch technology (RLV)

ISRO is working on a reusable launch technology in order to recover

the first and second stages of a rocket so that we can reuse them to

cut cost and carry heavier payloads.

The first rocket stage will be recovered on a vertical landing spot on

the sea like SpaceX has been doing it with its Falcon rocket.

However, recovering the second stage is not simple. For this

ISROdeveloping a winged body like a space shuttle. This shuttle will

be attached as a second stage in a rocket. It will carry the top portion

of the rocket comprising a satellite or spacecraft to space. Once it

injects the satellite in its orbit, the shuttle will glide back to the earth

and land on an airstrip like an aircraft.

The second stage recovery has never been tried by any other space

agency in the world, not even SpaceX".

ISRO had conducted the first demonstration test of India's winged body

vehicle on May 23, 2016. Then, the RLV had reached a height of 70 km

and was manoeuvred back to earth where it glided down into the Indian

Ocean and disintegrated.

On the June-July "The test will be different this time where a helicopter

will take the shuttle to a considerable height and from that height, the

winged body will be dropped. The shuttle will then glide back to earth

and land on an airstrip.

ISRO is also planning to conduct a third test of the RLV from the orbit.

There is speculation that the landing strip could be made in Andaman

and Nicobar islands.

Govt. to launch an end-to-end prediction system for predicting

thunderstorms/lightning by April 2019

Relevance IN – Prelims( factoids) + Mains ( GS Paper III- Disaster

management)

What’s the NEWS

India Meteorological Department will be implementing an end-to-end

prediction system for predicting thunderstorms/lightning by April

2019.

Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and IMD are developing

prediction tools for thunderstorm/lightning.

Know! about the upcoming prediction system

IITM Pune has already installed 48 lightning sensors around the country

which can locate the thunderstorm/lightning activities on real time.

IITM Pune also developed a Mobile App called “DAMINI” to give

alerts on impending lightning activity over the area. The DAMINI App is

available from Google Stores.

IITM Pune and IMD are developing a new website for IMD along with

the Mobile Apps for Farmers and City Forecasts.

These new tools will help IMD to disseminate forecasts and warnings on

time and more effectively to the users and the new website and mobile

Apps will be ready for launch by June 2019.

IMD is strengthening the observational network and by end of this year,

10 new X-band weather radars will be installed over NW Himalayas (J

&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand).

11 more C-band radars will be installed by IMD by 2020 over the plains

of India including one over Andaman Nicobar Islands and one over

Lakshadweep Islands.

IMD is installing 200 Automated Weather Stations at District Agromet

Units for providing weather services to farmers and another 200 AWS

will be installed over major cities and towns for providing City Specific

Weather information and forecasts

Factoids PM Modi Honoured With Presidential Award For "Visionary

Leadership"

Relevance IN - Prelims

What’s the NEWS

PM Modi receives the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award in

New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded with the first-ever Philip

Kotler Presidential award for his leadership and "selfless service to the

country".

Know! about the award

The award focuses on the triple bottom-line of ''people, profit and

planet''. It will be given annually to the leader of a nation

Philip Kotler is a professor of marketing at Northwestern University,

Kellogg School of Management. Owing to his ill health, Jagdish Sheth of

Emory University, Georgia was deputed to confer the award on PM

Modi.

The citation also states that under his leadership, India has emerged as the

centre for innovation and value-added manufacturing (Make in India), as

well as a global hub for professional services such as information

technology, accounting and finance.

The statement quoted the citation as saying that PM Modi's visionary

leadership has also resulted in the digital revolution (Digital India),

including the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits

and financial inclusion.

The citation, the statement said, mentions initiatives such as Make in

India, Startup India, Digital India and Swachh Bharat, "which have

positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business

destinations in the world".

Infrastructure Development Global Housing Technology Challenge-India

Relevance IN – Prelims ( facts about GHTC) + Mains ( GS III – infrastructure

development + GS II – government policy intervention

What’s the NEWS

Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has Launched “Global Housing

Technology Challenge-India” (GHTC- India)

Know! all about GHTC

GHTC- India intends to get best globally available innovative

construction technologies through a challenge process.

It seeks to demonstrate and deliver ready to live-in houses in a shorter

time, with lower cost and quality construction in a sustainable manner.

It also seeks to promote future technologies, to foster an environment of

research and development in the country.

What’s the need

The conventional system of housing construction is time consuming as

well as resource intensive, there is a need to look for new emerging,

disaster-resilient, environment friendly, cost effective and speedy

construction technologies.

The shift in technology transition will also address the challenges of

large-scale housing construction in minimum time and cost with optimum

use of resources and environment friendly practices

Know! more about GHTC

GHTC-India has been conceptualized to enable the paradigm shift

required in the construction sector in the country.

GHTC-India will bring change, both in the perception as well as the

manner in which construction of houses is done.

The challenge has three components viz. i) Conduct of Grand Expo-cum-

Conference, ii) Identifying Proven Demonstrable Technologies from

across the world and iii) Promoting Potential Technologies through

setting up incubation centers at selected IITs and organizing accelerator

workshops under the Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India

(ASHA-India) Program.

All stakeholders involved in building construction industry, technology

providers, construction agencies, developers and technical institutes

would participate in the Challenge.

A Grand Expo and Conference will be organized to provide a platform to

all stakeholders associated with housing construction for the exchange of

knowledge and business.

This event will be conducted biennially. Proven and demonstrable

technology providers from across the globe and India will be invited to

the Expo so that the organizers of GHTC-India may evaluate and assess

the range of technologies available. Potential future technologies will also

be invited and screened to participate at the expo.

Social Issues 6th Women of India Organic Festival

Women of India Organic Festivals being organised by government to

empower women farmers and entrepreneurs

Relevance IN – Prelims( facts about the fest ) + Mains( GS I – role of women

and women organisation + GS II – Social issues)

What’s the NEWS

The Ministry of Women and Child Development aims to encourage

Indian women entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with more buyers

through organizing ‘Women of India Organic Festivals’ across the

country.

The 6th ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ held at Leisure Valley,

Sector-10, Chandigarh.

Know! the benefits of the fest

Through this festival, the Ministry also aims to educate people about its

various initiatives and schemes relating to women and children

development.

The Women of India Organic Festival has been held annually in New

Delhi since 2015 and has made its debut in Chandigarh this year to

showcase the varied products of women farmers and entrepreneurs. It

would empower them through financial inclusion, while promoting

organic farming in India.

Over 200 women farmers and entrepreneurs from different parts of the

country put up 72 stalls of various farming and organic products in this

three day festival besides 15 food stalls in the food court.

The Festival showcased over 1,000 varied organic products, including

fabric, wellness, grains, seeds, jewellery, bakery items and a lot more.

Regional Centre of National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child

Development (NIPCCD) inaugurated

What’s the NEWS

The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka

Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the 5thRegional Centre of National

Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) at

SahibzadaAjitSingh Nagar (Mohali), Punjab

Know! more about NIPCCD

NIPCCD is a premier organisation devoted to promotion of voluntary

action, research, training, and documentation in the overall domain of

women and children development.

NIPCCD already has four such Regional Centres one each at Bangalore,

Guwahati, Indore and Lucknow besides the Headquarters at New Delhi.

Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

9th International Conference on Micro Irrigation to be held at

Aurangabad

Relevance IN – Prelims( about micro irrigation) + GS Mains III – different

types of irrigation and its pattern)

What’s the NEWS

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga

Rejuvenation, Government of India is organizing the 9th International

Micro Irrigation Conference on Modern Agriculture at Aurangabad in

Maharashtra in association with International Commission on

Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), Indian National Committee on

Surface Water (INCSW) and WAPCOS Limited, a CPSE under the

Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga

Rejuvenation.

Know! about the conference

The event will be a multi-disciplinary dialogue in the form of a

conference discussing issues related to micro irrigation for modern

agriculture and various related issues like new techniques in micro

irrigation for increased crop productivity, micro irrigation in cluster

level farming etc.

A large group of eminent international and national experts and local

farmers will be sharing their experiences in the fields of latest

developments in micro irrigation technology to enhance crop production

and water management for optimal use in agriculture, technical and

sociological interventions for sustainable water, food & agriculture.

The Conference will provide a forum for discussions and deliberation

through seminars, exhibitions and sessions and will serve to build

awareness regarding large-scale use of micro irrigation, strategies for

water conservation, advanced crop technology, engineering techniques,

etc.

The event will aim to address problems of developing as well as

developed nations in the context of present-day challenges.

What is Micro – irrigation

Micro-irrigation, also called localised irrigation, low volume irrigation,

low-flow irrigation, or trickle irrigation is an irrigation method with lower

pressure and flow than a traditional sprinkler system.

Low volume irrigation is used in agriculture for row crops, orchards, and

vineyards.

It is also used in horticulture in wholesale nurseries, in landscaping for

civic, commercial, and private landscapes and gardens, and in the science

and practice of restoration ecology and environmental remediation.

Know! about WAPCOS

WAPCOS Limited earlier known as Water and Power Consultancy

Services (India) Limited is a consultancy organisation and public sector

undertaking under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development

and Ganga Rejuvenation of the Government of India.

The company provides consultancy services in the fields of water

resources, power and infrastructure.

Launched in 1969, it is now an ISO 9001:2008 certified, Mini Ratna

company with several projects across India, Asia and Africa

Prelims Practise question

Consider the following statements

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and farmer welfare has organised the

6th ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ aims to encourage Indian women

entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with more buyers

2. Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has Launched “Global Housing

Technology Challenge-India” (GHTC- India) which intends to get best

globally available innovative construction technologies through a challenge

process.

Find the correct statement from the option given below

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both

d. None

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