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GJ 1002 b and c

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An international group of researchers has recently discovered the presence of two planets with masses comparable to that of the Earth in orbit around the star GJ 1002.

About GJ 1002 b and c:

  • The two new planets are named, GJ 1002 b and GJ 1002 c.
  • These planets lie in so-called habitable zones, within which water could be found in liquid form, and which is located in the immediate vicinity of the star due to its low luminosity.
  • Planet b has a mass slightly higher than Earth’s, is the closer of the two and its year lasts only 10 days.
  • Planet c is about a third more massive than Earth and takes about 20 days to orbit the star.
  • The two planets were discovered using the radial velocity (RV) method. 

What is the Radial Velocity method?

  • This method is based on the detection of variations in the velocity of the central star, due to the changing direction of the gravitational pull from an unseen exoplanet as it orbits the star.


Lucy Mission

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NASA recently announced that it is adding a new target for the Lucy mission as the spacecraft goes on its more than 6-billion-kilometre-long journey to study the Jupiter trojan asteroids..

About Lucy Mission:

  • NASA’s Lucy mission is the first spacecraft launched to explore the Trojan asteroids, a population of primitive asteroids orbiting in tandem with Jupiter.
  • Lucy was successfully launched Oct. 16, 2021, and will visit eight asteroids over 12 years — one asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, and seven Trojan asteroids leading and trailing Jupiter in its orbit.

 What are Trojan Asteroids?

  • Asteroids sharing an orbit with a planet, but which are located at the leading (L4) and trailing (L5) Lagrangian points, are known as Trojan asteroids.
  • These asteroids occupy a stable Lagrangian point in a planet’s orbit around the Sun.
  • Trojan Asteroids are some of the oldest remnants from the formation of our solar system 5 billion years ago.
  • There are currently over 4,800 known Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter.
  • They orbit the Sun in two loose groups: one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its orbit, the other trailing behind at the same distance from the Sun as Jupiter.
  • Due to the combined gravitational influences of the Sun and Jupiter, these Trojan asteroids have been trapped on stable orbits (around what is known as the Lagrange Points) for billions of years.

 What is a Lagrange point?

  • Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two body system like the Sun and the Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
  • The Lagrange Points are positions where the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
  • These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.


Country’s indigenous mobile operating system BharOS

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Context

The Ministry for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology tested ‘BharOS’, the recently-unveiled indigenous operating system developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT).  

What is BharOS ? 

  • BharOS is India’s first homegrown mobile operating system.
  • It is Linux kernel-based operating system that is designed to be secure and powerful. 
  • Developed by: The BharOS was developed by JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops), which has been incubated by IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, a Section 8 (Not for Profit) Company established by IIT Madras. 

Important Features

Key features of the new made-in-India OS:

  • No default apps: BharOS does not include any bloatware or default apps, giving users more storage space. Without any default apps, users are also not forced to use any app they may not trust.
  • NOTA updates: BharOS offers “Native Over The Air” (NOTA) updates, similar to Android, which means the software updates will be automatically downloaded and installed on the device.
  • Access to PASS: The new OS will also provide access to Private App Store Services (PASS), which offer trusted apps from specific organisations.
A PASS provides access to a curated list of apps that have been thoroughly vetted and have met certain security and privacy standards of organisations. This means users can be confident that the apps they are installing are safe to use and have been checked for any potential security vulnerabilities or privacy concerns

Need

  • Because all smartphones either run on Android or on iOS, there has always been a pervasive uneasiness about how these companies collect, store and use the data that is generated by Indian smartphone users. 
    • BharOS tries to address these issues.

Comparison of BharOS & Android

Similarity

Difference
  • Technically, BharOS is very similar to Android because they share the same basics. Because BharOS uses AOSP or Android Open Source Project, the functionalities and the methodologies both OS use are essentially the same. 

 
  • What sets BharOS apart from Android, is that it is free from Google Services and Apps. 
    • Google has used its preinstalled apps and services to collect data, sometimes without explicitly asking a user. 
    • Similarly, other apps from Google’s PlayStore share data with third-party services.
    • BharOS does not come with any

Which is better BharOS or Android?

  • BharOS sure has its benefits especially when we speak of security and privacy. However, Android has a few legacy advantages that will be hard for people to give up.
  • Android actually supports a wide range of devices and hardware, ranging from a basic smartphone worth Rs 6000-7000 or even lower to a complex, and expensive, a foldable smartphone that costs north of Rs 1,00,000. 
    • We don’t know what sort of devices BharOS will support.
  • Another advantage is that Android has a very wide user base so bugs and issues are quickly reported and resolved. 
    • Very rarely do we get to see bugs in the Android OS – most bugs crop up when OEMs try to lay their own UI on top of Android. 
    • We also don’t know how frequently will BharOS receive updates, security or generational.


ISRO to soon launch Aditya-L1

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Context

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch the Aditya-L1 mission by June or July this year. 

About Aditya-L1 mission

  • Aditya-L1 Mission is India’s first solar mission planned by ISRO. Earlier the name was Aditya -1, which has been renamed as Aditya-L1 Mission.
  • Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun and the solar corona.
  • It is ISRO’s second space-based astronomy mission after AstroSat for a scientific expedition to study the Sun. 
  • ISRO planned to place the satellite in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian Point (L1).  Hence the mission was renamed as Aditya L1 mission.

Objectives of the mission

  • to help in tracking Earth-directed storms and predict their impact through solar observations
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s corona.
  • to research the Sun’s corona (Visible and Near-infrared rays), photosphere (soft and hard X-ray), chromosphere (Ultra Violet rays), solar emissions, solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), as well as conduct round-the-clock imaging of the Sun

Payloads used for the mission

  • The 1,500 kg satellite carries seven science payloads with diverse objectives.
  • Seven science payloads:
    • Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
    • Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
    • Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
    • Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya
    • Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
    • High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
    • Magnetometer

What are Lagrange Points?

Lagrange points are named in honour of Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange.
  • Lagrange Points are positioned in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system like the Sun and the Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
  • These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
Types:

There are five Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth system. Of the five Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth system, only the last two, called L4 and L5, are stable. Satellites at the First three points need constant adjustments to stay balanced and in place.

  • L-1: The first Lagrange point is located between the Earth and the Sun, giving satellites at this point a constant view of the Sun. 
    • The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a NASA and European Space Agency satellite tasked to monitor the Sun, orbits the first Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth.
  • L-2: The second Lagrange point is about the same distance from the Earth, but is located behind the Earth. Earth is always between the second Lagrange point and the Sun. 
    • Since the Sun and Earth are in a single line, satellites at this location only need one heat shield to block heat and light from the Sun and Earth. It is a good location for space telescopes.
  • L-3: The third Lagrange point is opposite the Earth on the other side of the Sun so that the Sun is always between it and Earth. 
    • A satellite in this position would not be able to communicate with Earth. The extremely stable fourth and fifth Lagrange points are in Earth’s orbital path around the Sun, 60 degrees ahead of and behind Earth.
  • L4 and L5 are 60° ahead and behind the Earth in the same orbit.


Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)

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The handover ceremony of the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) which is the primary payload of Aditya-L1 Mission was held recently.

About Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) on board Aditya-L1:

  • What is it?It is the largest payload that would fly on the Aditya-L1 mission. It is an internally occulted solar coronagraph capable of simultaneous imaging, spectroscopy and spectro-polarimetry close to the solar limb.
  • The VELC consists of a coronagraph, spectrograph, polarimetry module and detectors, aside from auxiliary optics.
  • It is built by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) at its CREST (Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology) campus at Hosakote, Karnataka.
  • Purpose:
    • It will observe the solar corona, which is the tenuous, outermost layer of the solar atmosphere.
    • It will analyze the coronal temperature, plasma velocity, density, etc.
    • It will also study Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and the solar wind.

 What is Aditya-L1 Mission:

  • It is India’s first dedicated scientific mission to study the Sun.
  • The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, which is 1.5 million km from the Earth towards the Sun.
  • A satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses.
  • Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.
  • The satellite will be launched by PSLV-XL launch vehicle from Sriharikota.

 What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs):

  • (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s corona.
  • The blast of a CME carries about a billion tons of material out from the Sun at very high speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second.
  • A CME contains particle radiation (mostly protons and electrons) and powerful magnetic fields stronger than what is normally present in the solar wind.
  • The resulting shocks ripple through the solar system and can interrupt satellites and power grids on Earth.


Hybrid Immunity

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A recent study by The Lancet Infectious Diseases held that “hybrid immunity” provides better protection against severe Covid-19.

  • The study said that a hybrid immunity offers a “higher magnitude and durability” of protection as compared to infection alone, emphasising the need for vaccination.
  • Hybrid immunity is gained from a previous infection plus vaccines, either the primary doses or both primary and booster doses.
  • A natural infection after vaccination acts like a booster and offers hybrid immunity.
  • This infection provides better protection than vaccines alone because it prepares the body against the entire virus, rather than say just the spike protein.
  • Individuals with hybrid immunity may be able to extend the period before booster vaccinations compared to individuals who have never been infected.

Herd immunity is a kind of protection that a population gets when it becomes immune to an infection, be it through previous infections or vaccination, and thus the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity gets reduced.



Doomsday clock

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Atomic scientists reset the “Doomsday Clock” recently, moving its hands to 90 seconds to midnight – closer than ever before to the threat of annihilation.

About Doomsday clock:

What is it ? 

  • It is a symbolic timepiece showing how close the world is to ending.
  • The hands of the clock are moved closer to or further away from midnight based on the scientists’ reading of existential threats at a particular time.

Purpose:

    • It warns how many metaphorical “minutes to midnight” humanity has left.
    • It is intended to warn the public and inspire action.

How is the clock set? 

  • A Chicago-based non-profit organization called the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists updates the time annually based on information regarding catastrophic risks to the planet and humanity

Origin and History:

    • The clock was created in 1947 by a group of atomic scientists, including Albert Einstein, who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the world’s first nuclear weapons during World War Two.
    • When it was created in 1947, the placement of the Doomsday Clock was based on the threat posed by nuclear weapons.
    • In 2007, the Bulletin began including catastrophic disruptions from climate change in its hand-setting deliberations.
    • The furthest the clock has been set was 17 minutes to midnight, in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

What time is it now ?

    • At 90 seconds to midnight, the “Doomsday Clock” is now the closest it has ever been to midnight.
    • It is the first time it has moved since it was set at 100 seconds to midnight in 2020.
    • Its setting reflects the revived fears of a nuclear war due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


Molecular clouds

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An international team of astronomers have recently announced the discovery of different ices in the darkest and coldest regions of a molecular cloud measured to date

Why in News?

  • The Researchers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to prove that even complex prebiotic molecules, which are precursors to the building blocks of life, can be formed in the depths of cold, dark molecular clouds.

About Molecular clouds

  • What is it? It is an interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, the most common of which is hydrogen (H2). These clouds have very low temperatures of just 10 to 30 kelvin.
  • The size of these clouds can be from a few light years up to 600 light years. Their total mass can reach several million solar masses.
  • Molecular clouds with dimensions of more than about 15 light years are also called giant molecular clouds.
  • The central regions of these clouds are completely hidden from view by dust. We are able to look into the core of these clouds using radio or infrared wavelengths.
  • They are the raw material of stars and planets. These clouds do not last for a very long time.
  • After the new stars are born, their solar winds blow away the remaining gas and dust. Only a fraction, about 10%, of the original material of the molecular cloud gets locked up in stars and planets.

 What is a dark nebula (or dark cloud)?

  • It is a very dense part of a bigger molecular cloud.
  • The light extinction is caused by the high density and the presence of interstellar dust in these clouds.
  • These are the regions where new stars are forming. They mainly consist of hydrogen and dust particles which are needed to form new star systems with stars and planets.

What is a Solar Mass?

  • A solar mass is the mass of the sun.
  • It is 989 x 10^30 kilograms — about 333,000 Earths.


Light Tank Zorawar

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According to a recent report, DRDO-L&T developed Zorawar Light Tank that is under fabrication and will be “rolled out” soon.

Why in News?

  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Defence Ministry recently accorded the approval for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for purchasing 354 of these tanks through Make in India

About Light Tank Zorawar:

  • It is an indigenously designed and developed Light Tank.
  • Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Limited.
  • Features:
  • It is designed to operate in varying terrain from high altitude areas and marginal terrains to island territories.
  • It will be highly transportable for rapid deployment to meet any operational situation.
  • It will be equipped with all the modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Drone Integration, a high degree of situational awareness, and amphibious operation capability.
  • It will weigh less than 25 tonnes with a high power-to-weight ratio as well as superior firepower and protection.

 Who was Zorawar?

  • He was a military general — Zorawar Singh Kahluria, and had served under Jammu’s Raja Gulab Singh in the 19th Century.
  • He is honoured for his conquests in the Himalayas including Ladakh, Tibet, Baltistan and Skardu.


Tethered Drones

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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) today sought technical and commercial bids to add to the Army robotic mules, jetpack suits and tethered drones that will look across the Himalayas.

About Tethered Drones:

  • A tethered drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to the ground.
  • It consists of a base station on the ground and the drone, which is connected to the station through the tether (cable).
  • The drone can be operated remotely to perform specific tasks.

Advantages:

    • Tethered UAVs are perfect for data capture and telemetry due to the reliability of tethered connections.
    • Tethered drones dramatically reduce technical and human error crashes in flight.
    • Tethered drones provide a secure line of communication between the ground station and the aircraft.
    • It also does not require GPS navigation.
    • Many tethered drones have longer flight times compared to free-flying, battery-operated drones.
    • Due to the restricted movement of a tethered drone, the operator does not need piloting skills and can mainly focus on their tasks.


BharOS

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BharOS, the indigenous mobile operating system wants to cater to the approximately 100 crore mobile phone users in India.

  • BharOS is an indigenous mobile operating system (OS), like Android or iOS.
  • It is developed by JandK Operations Private Limited, a non-profit organization incubated at IIT Madras and funded by the Department of Science and Technology.
  • BharOS is meant to be a contribution towards the idea of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ by creating a secure OS environment for India-based users.

Features of BharOS

  • BharOS appears to be more specialised with greater focus on app customisation and is still in limited use at the moment.
  • BharOS is an AOSP (Android Open Source Project) based operating system with no Google apps or services.
  • BharOS would offer Native Over The Air (NOTA) updates and No Default Apps (NDA) setting.
  • This features a minimalistic home screen with the Indian flag, a list of app categories, and selected apps which had passed the OS’ trust and security standards.
  • BharOS will use Private App Store Services (PASS) system, which will examine and curate the apps that are safe for the users.
  • These systems help smartphone users interact with their device and access its features, while ensuring safety.
  • Present status – The current version of BharOS comes with third-party apps like DuckDuckGo and Signal as default browsers and messaging apps.
  • The OS can be installed on commercial off-the-shelf handsets.
  • It will be collaborated with smartphone manufacturers in the future to launch cell phones with BharOS.
NOTA updates – security updates and bug fixes will be automatically installed rather than users having to check for updates and implementing them on their own

NDA setting – users do not have to keep or use pre-installed apps in this mobile operating system.


Trans Fat

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According to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO), five billion people globally are exposed to harmful trans fat, which is increasing their heart disease and death risk.

About Trans fat

  • Trans fat, or trans-fatty acids, are unsaturated fatty acidsthat come from either natural or industrial sources.
    • Naturally-occurring trans-fat comes from ruminants (cows and sheep).
    • Industrially-produced trans-fat is formed in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil converting the liquid into a solid, resulting in “partially hydrogenated” oil (PHO).
  • Partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) are solid at room temperature and prolong the shelf life of products. They are primarily used for deep frying and as an ingredient in baked goods.

 

What are the Initiatives taken to reduce trans-fat intake?

  • National Level: Foods Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) launched a “Trans Fat-Free”logo for voluntary labelling to promote TFA-free products.
  • Global Level: World Health Organisation launched a REPLACE campaign in 2018 for global-level elimination of trans-fats in industrially produced edible oils by 2023.


Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system

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An agreement was signed recently between DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory and Naval Group France to extend cooperation to enter into the detailed design phase for the integration of the indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system in the Kalvari class submarines.

About:

There are two types of submarines:

  • Conventional or Diesel-electric submarine: They need atmospheric oxygen to run the diesel generator which in turn charges the batteries.
  • Nuclear Submarine: It is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. They have considerable performance advantages over conventional submarines.

What is an AIP?

  • With the emergence of submarines, there was a problem finding satisfactory forms of propulsion underwater.
  • AIP is mostly implemented as an auxiliary source, with the traditional diesel engine handling surface propulsion. Most of these systems generate electricity, which in turn drives an electric motor for propulsion or recharges the boat’s batteries.
  • AIP allows longer submergence than a conventionally propelled submarine. A typical conventional power plant provides 3 megawatts maximum, and an AIP source around 10 per cent of that. A nuclear submarine’s propulsion plant is much greater than 20 megawatts.

Key features of AIP system:

  • It allows the submarines to stay for longer hours in water. The submarines need to come to the surface of the water to charge their batteries. This is reduced by AIP System.
  • It decreases the noise levels made by the submarines. This makes it hard to detect the submarines.

 Types of AIP:

  • Open-cycle systems
  • Closed-cycle diesel engines
  • Closed-cycle steam turbines
  • Stirling cycle engines
  • Fuel cells

DRDO is using the fuel cells-based AIP System. It is unique as the hydrogen is generated onboard. The plant was operated in endurance mode and max power mode as per the user requirements. The system is being developed by Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) of DRDO.



Norovirus

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Norovirus has been conformed in Ernakulam district of Kerala.

What is norovirus?

  • Noro is a group of viruses that causes illness related to stomach.
  • Type: highly contagious virus 
  • Symptoms: severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and body aches
  • Although norovirus is usually mild in healthy people, it can be serious if it infects young children, elderly, and people with other medical conditions.
  • Spread: The disease spreads through sewage, food and contact with infected people.


Dark sky as a natural resource

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Context

Recently, the district administration of Ladakh designated six hamlets within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary as a ‘dark-sky reserve’.

About the Dark-sky reserve:

  • A dark-sky Reserve (DSR) is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory that restricts artificial light pollution.
  • The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is associated with the International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) and International Dark Sky Park (IDSP).
  • An International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) was founded in 1988 to reserve public or private land for an exquisite outlook of nocturnal territories and starry night skies.
  • In 1993, Michigan became the first state in the United States to designate a tract of land as a “Dark Sky Reserve” at the Lake Hudson State Recreation Area.
  • It is generally understood that a dark-sky reserve, should be sufficiently dark to promote astronomy.
  • However, this is not always the case. The lighting protocol for a dark-sky reserve is based on the sensitivity of wildlife to artificial light at night

Sky glow and causes:

  • Sky glow would be familiar to most people as that light dome that appears over populated areas that become visible, especially when you go outside of that populated area and look back towards it.
  • That dome that you see is an amalgamation of all the light sources that have been exposed to the exterior environment.
  • Causes:
    • Skyglow, also known as light pollution, is the brightening of the night sky as the result of excessive and inappropriate artificial lighting.
    • Light pollution is an increasing problem threatening astronomical facilities, ecologically sensitive habitats, wildlife, and energy use.

What is the objective of these reserves?

  • The purpose of the dark-sky movement is generally to promote astronomy.
  • However, astronomy is certainly not the only objective of conserving a dark sky.
  • A dark night sky is associated with so many facets of history, philosophy, religion, societal development, poetry, song, mathematics, and science.
  • The preservation of a DSR is necessary to understand our environmental history.

Significance:

  • The designation meant that the reserve had a responsibility to keep the skies dark, particularly for the astronomical observatories located in the area.
  • While authorities safeguard telescopes’ access to dark skies by actively lowering light pollution around their sites, the night is actually becoming brighter in almost the rest of the world.
India’s first site for dark reserve:

  • A part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary at Hanle in Ladakh is all set to become India’s first Dark Sky Reserve.
  • The site will also promote astronomy tourism, giving a boost to local tourism through science.
  • The reason for selecting a site for the programme:
  • Ladakh holds great potential for undertaking uninterrupted astronomical observations.
  • At a height of 4,500 metres, Hanle is already home to optical, gamma ray and infrared telescopes for Space exploration.
  • It is pristine for the dry weather for most months of the year, remains cloudless during nights and offers dark skies, making it a perfect natural setup for sky gazing.

Environmental Consequences of light pollution:

  • According to a 2003 report, light overnight on beaches deters sea turtles from coming ashore to nest.
  • A 2006 review found that skyglow keeps trees from sensing seasonal variations.
  • A 2017 study found that young burrow-nesting seabirds don’t take flight unless the nesting site becomes dark.
  • A 2019 study reported that clownfish eggs don’t hatch when exposed to artificial light at night, killing the offspring.
  • A 2020 study noted that skyglow interferes with multiple aspects of insect life and allows insect predators to hunt for longer.


The IT Rules 2021

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What’s in News?

  • Recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) directed YouTube and Twitter to take down links sharing the BBC documentary titled ‘India: The Modi Question.’
  • The order was passed under the emergency provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

What’s in Today’s Article?

  • What are the Emergency Provisions?
  • What Actions can Users Take if their Content has been Impacted?
  • News Summary with respect to Taking Down of BBC Documentary

What are the Emergency Provisions?

  • Under the IT Rules 2021, the MIB has powers to issue content takedown notices to social media intermediaries like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook in emergency situations for which no delay is acceptable.
  • These emergency notices can be issued if the MIB believes that the content can impact the sovereignty, integrity, defence or security of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order, or to prevent incitement to any cognisable offence.
  • Since 2021, the MIB has used the emergency provisions at least seven times (known because the Ministry communicated in press releases), most prominently for YouTube.
  • However, in the case of the BBC documentary, the Ministry has not yet issued any release through its official channel – the Press Information Bureau. 

What Actions can Users Take if their Content has been Impacted?

  • Although the IT Rules 2021 outline user recourse options, these are only applicable to actions taken by social media companies.
  • For instance, if a platform has on its own taken down some content, the user can approach the grievance officer of the platform to raise a dispute, which they are to redress within 15 days.
  • However, if a platform has taken down content on the basis of the emergency provisions in the Rules, the legislation does not offer any direct recourse.
  • The only option users have in this case is to approach courts. However, by their very nature, the blocking orders are confidential, which means that users do not know the provisions under which their content was flagged.
  • Also, how the government decided that a particular piece of content should be taken down is not known to citizens.
  • Platforms like Twitter voluntarily inform users that they have taken down their content based on the government’s request. 

News Summary with respect to Taking Down of BBC Documentary:

  • What has the government said about the documentary?
    • The MIB has rejected the documentary produced by BBC as a “propaganda piece” that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.
    • The senior officials of ministries including the MEA, Home, and I&B have examined the documentary and found it to be an attempt to –
      • Allegedly undermine the Supreme Court of India’s authority and credibility,
      • Cause strife between different communities, and
      • Make unproven claims about the actions of foreign governments in India.
    • The documentary was accordingly found to be undermining sovereignty and integrity of India and having the potential to adversely impact India’s friendly relations with foreign states as also public order within the country.
  • Opposition, experts say censorship:
    • When the IT Rules 2021 were first notified, experts had already noted that it would increase political control (state surveillance) in the online space and censorship and hate speech would balloon at the same time.
    • Opposition parties said the decision to block links to the documentary on YouTube and Twitter amounted to “censorship”.


Bimodal Nuclear Propulsion

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Recently, as part of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program for 2023, NASA selected a bimodal nuclear propulsion concept for Phase I development which could reduce transit times to Mars to just 45 days.

About Bimodal nuclear propulsion:

  • Bimodal nuclear propulsion is a two-part system that includes; Nuclear Thermal and Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NTP /NEP).
  • It uses a wave rotor topping cycle.

How will nuclear propulsion work?

  • The Nuclear Thermal system includes a nuclear reactor that will heat liquid hydrogen (LH2) propellant and turn it into ionised hydrogen gas (plasma) that will then be channelled through a nozzle to generate thrust.
  • Nuclear Electric Propulsion depends on a nuclear reactor to provide electricity to a Hall-Effect thruster (ion engine), which will generate an electromagnetic field that will ionise and accelerate an inert gas to create thrust.
  • Advantages: Fuel efficiency, a higher specific impulse, rating and unlimited energy density.


Planet Parade

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Recently, over the past few nights, Venus and Saturn have been gradually coming together in the sky which was visible through the naked eye.

About Planet Parade:

  • This is the phenomenon wherein the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were visible to the naked eye from Earth.
  • This planetary meet-up, also known as a conjunction, makes the two planets appear close together or even touch in the Earth’s night sky.
  • Despite being millions of kilometres apart, the planets seem to occupy the same space in the night sky because of their alignment.
  • Just after sunset in the west, a conjunction of Venus and Saturn were 0.4 degrees apart as seen from earth.


India International Science Festival 2022

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The 8th edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) was recently inaugurated at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal.

About India International Science Festival:

  • It is an initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Science of Government of India in association with Vijnana Bharati which is a science movement with Swadeshi spirit led by eminent scientists of the country.
  • It is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers, scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.
  • ISF provides opportunities to people and scientific fraternity in the country and abroad to come together and work together. 

IISF 2022:

  • Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
  • It is the eighth edition since its inception in 2015.
  • Theme: ‘Marching towards Amrit Kaal with Science, Technology, and Innovation’
  • IISF 2022 is a four day festival and will feature 14 thematic events.


Bloatware Apps

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About :

  • Also known as Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), bloatware apps are needless programs that take a toll on your device’s performance.
  • Bloatware apps are being criticized for taking up the storage of the device unnecessarily and affecting the system’s battery life and overall performance.
  • Generally, these apps that run in the background are hidden and locating them becomes a tough job for the users.
  • It could be any software on your computer, phone or tablet that consumes a lot of resources like — memory, storage and battery life.
  • These types of bloatwares come from manufacturers and third-party developers and are usually pre-loaded on your device.
  • Users can experience the app as most of them offer free trial modes in new devices.
  • However, these programs keep on consuming your device’s resources, even after the trial period is over.
  • These types of bloatware typically gets downloaded while downloading softwares from the internet.