Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules 05th February 2019

Science and Technology ISRO set to launch communication satellite GSAT-31

Relevance IN – Prelims( about GSAT-31) + Mains ( GSIII awareness in the

field of space)

What’s the NEWS

The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch its 40th

communication satellite GSAT-31 from the spaceport in French Guiana.

Know! more about GSAT 31

The satellite with a mission life of 15 years will provide continuity to

operational services on some of the in-orbit satellites and augment the

Ku-band transponder capacity in Geostationary Orbit

The satellite, weighing about 2,535kg, is scheduled for launch

onboard the Ariane-5 (VA247) from Kourou in French Guiana.

The satellite GSAT-31 is configured on ISRO's enhanced I-2K Bus,

utilising the maximum bus capabilities of this type.

The satellite derives its heritage from ISROs earlier INSAT/GSAT

satellite series. The satellite provides Indian mainland and island

coverage

GSAT-31 will be used for supporting VSAT networks, television

uplinks, digital satellite news gathering, DTH television services,

cellular back haul connectivity and many such applications.

The satellite will also provide wide beam coverage to facilitate

communication over large oceanic region comprising large part of the

Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean using wide

band transponder,

State Specific Surajkund International Crafts Mela

Relevance IN – Prelims( about the mela)

What’s the NEWS

The Mela is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana

Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles,

Culture and External Affairs.

For the 33rd Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2019, the state

of Maharashtra has been chosen to be the Theme State.

At least 20 countries & all the states of India will be participating in the

Mela.

A large number of renowned national and international folk artistes and

cultural groups present day performances at both the Chaupals, the open-

air theatres, located in the Mela premises.

Know! more about the mela

The Surajkund International Crafts is organised, managed and run Mela

at Surajkund Faridabad with a view to promote handicrafts, handlooms

with the aid of craftsmen invited from all over the country

To identify languishing and lesser-known crafts and to introduce them to

patrons.

To display crafts and loom techniques by organising demonstration

sections in the Mela grounds.

To undertake the promotion of export of handlooms and handicrafts.

International affairs Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Relevance IN – Prelims( about INF treaty) + Mains( international relations)

What’s the NEWS

The United States withdraw from the INF treaty, Russia has followed the

suit and declared the suspension of the treaty.

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by President

Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in

December 1987

The treaty prohibited the United States and the Soviet Union from

possessing, testing and deploying ground-launched cruise and ballistic

missiles of ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (300 to 3,400

miles).

The treaty covers all types of ground-launched cruise and ballistic

missiles whether their payload is conventional or nuclear.

The treaty exempted the air-launched and sea-based missile systems in

the same range.

Under the treaty, both US and Russia had destroyed 846 and 1,846

missiles respectively.

Education National Testing Agency launched Mobile App

Relevance IN – Prelims(about NTA) +Mains (GS III development in the field of

education)

What’s the NEWS

National Testing Agency (NTA) has launched a ‘mobile app’ through

which students can practice or take mock tests on their own

computers or smart phones.

In order to ensure that no student is disadvantaged due to lack of

resources, NTA has established a network of more than 4000 Test

Practice Centres (TPCs) to acquaint the aspirants, especially those from

rural areas with Computer Based Tests (CBTs).

Students across the country can register themselves online at NTA

Website or ‘NTA Students App’ for visiting the TPCs.

All these services are provided to the students free of cost. So far, more

than one lakh students have registered at these TPCs and more than one

crore students have benefited from these ‘App & Web’ services.

Know! about NTA

National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier,

specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct

entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational

institutions.

To assess competence of candidates for admissions and recruitment has

always been a challenge in terms of matching with research based

international standards, efficiency, transparency and error free delivery.

The National Testing Agency is entrusted to address all such issues using

best in every field, from test preparation, to test delivery and to test

marking.

Culture National Virtual Library of India

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about the virtual library)

Know! all about NVLI

The objective of National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) is to facilitate

creation of a comprehensive database on digital resources of India on

information about India in an open access environment. Salient features

of NVLI are : -

1. Federated searching through multilingual user interfaces. 2. Virtual learning environment 3. E-Governance platform facilitating data analytics 4. Multilingual searching and retrieval on ontology/thesaurus based.

The project of creation of National Virtual Library of India costing

Rs.72.34 crore had been entrusted to IIT Bombay (in collaboration with

C-DAC, Pune and IGNOU, Delhi). An amount of Rs.71.78 crore has

been released by Government to IIT Bombay till date.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between

National Mission on Libraries and IIT Bombay on 26.04.2016, the time

frame for completion of the project by IIT Bombay is 3 years. The

Ministry of Culture continuously monitors the progress of the NVLI

project.

Disaster Management Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meet on Disaster Risk

Management

Relevance IN – Prelims( about IORM) + Mains GS III disaster management)

What’s the NEWS

The Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of

External Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

is organising a meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

Cluster Group on Disaster Risk Management (DRM)

Indian Ocean Rim Association

Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation and

has many disaster-prone countries among its 22 members and nine

dialogue partners.

DRM is one of its priority areas and its Action Plan (2017-2021) has

specific goals to improve resilience in IORA countries.

The two-day meeting will feature interactive sessions and will focus on

development of a draft Work Plan for DRM in IORA.

It will also deliberate on the need for establishing a DRM Core Group to

take forward the agreed objectives under the Work Plan.

It would strengthen cooperation in disaster response interventions,

including deployment of response teams and mobilization of relief

material to affected countries. Deliberations at the meeting would also aid

information exchange, establishment of disaster database(s) and sharing

of best practices.

Prelims Practise Question

Consider the following statements

1. The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch its 40th

communication satellite GSAT-31 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre

and it will be used for supporting VSAT networks, television

uplinks, digital satellite news gathering, DTH television services,

cellular back haul connectivity and many such applications.

2. Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation

and has many disaster-prone countries among its 22 members and

nine dialogue partners.

3. National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier,

specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to

conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher

educational institutions.

Find the incorrect one from the option given below

1. 1 only

2. 2 and 3

3. 3 only

4. 1 and 3

keep learning keep evolving

team CL IAS