1. New butterfly species discovered in Kerala
Tags: Science and Technology State News
Recently, a group of researchers discovered a butterfly subspecies from the fringes of Akkulam and Vembanad lakes in Kerala.
An overview of the news
The name of this subspecies of discovered butterfly is Caltoris bromus Sadashiv.
It belongs to the skipper butterfly family of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).
It is the first Bromus swift butterfly to be documented in the Western Ghats.
Caltoris is an Indo-Australian genus with more than 15 species found in Southeast Asia.
Caltoris bromus is one of them and its two other subspecies are Caltoris bromus bromus and Caltoris bromus yanuka.
About Vembanad Lake
It is the largest lake in Kerala and the longest lake in India.
The source of the lake is related to four rivers – Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa and Manimala.
The Vallam Kali (Nehru Trophy Boat Race) is a snake boat race held every year in August in Vembanad Lake.
In the year 2002, it was included in the list of wetlands of international importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention.
The Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetlands under the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
2. NASA announces four-member team of astronauts to travel to the Moon
Tags: Science and Technology International News
For the first time in five decades, NASA announced a team of four astronauts for its human spaceflight mission to the Moon.
An overview of the news
The team of four astronauts will fly around the moon for a 10-day mission next year.
NASA has announced the four astronauts who will go to lunar orbit and return with the Artemis 2 mission.
Who are these Artemis 2 astronauts?
These four Artemis 2 astronauts are - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch.
NASA’s Reid Wiseman will be the commander of the Artemis 2 mission.
Victor Glover will serve as the pilot for Artemis 2. Glover was previously the pilot of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission.
Jeremy Hansen will represent the Canadian Space Agency during the mission.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch will be the mission specialist for Artemis 3.
Koch visited the space station in 2019, where she was part of the first all-woman spacewalk in history.
The Artemis II flight team will have three American and one Canadian astronauts, the first since the historic Apollo mission ended in 1972.
Artemis 2 mission
The Artemis 1 mission will allow NASA to test the foundation of its latest human space exploration capabilities.
This includes the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and all associated ground systems.
Artemis 2 will be the first crewed mission to test all of these.
About NASA
NASA was formed under the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 19, 1948, in place of its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters- Washington D.C.
Administrator - Bill Nelson
3. ISRO successfully conducts landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle
Tags: Science and Technology National News
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 2 April successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX).
An overview of the news
The test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka.
A Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force carried the launch vehicle to a height of 4.5 kms and released it in mid-air.
The RLV took off at 7.10 am and landed at the ATR airstrip at 7.40 am.
It is noteworthy that the rocket can be launched again with the help of a reusable launch vehicle.
This has successfully achieved the autonomous precise landing of the Space vehicle.
ISRO had developed the navigation system, instrumentation and sensors on its own.
With this successful test, the dream of developing a reusable spacecraft in India can become a reality.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
It was established on 15 August 1969.
It is the national space agency of India. It launches its space rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Headquarters: Bengaluru
Chairman: S Somnath
4. ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite
Tags: Science and Technology
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently released images of Earth captured by the EOS-06 satellite.
An overview of the news
The images are a mosaic generated by ISRO's National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC).
The images have been captured by the Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) payload on board EOS-06 by NRSC.
About EOS-06 satellite
Earth Observation satellite (EOS-6) is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series.
It provides continued services of Oceansat-2 with enhanced payload capability.
It was launched by ISRO onboard the PSLV-C54 along with eight Nano-satellites on 26 November, 2022.
It provides continued services of Oceansat-2 with enhanced payload capability and carries four payloads OCM-, Sea Surface Temperature Monitor, Ku-Band Scatterometer, and ARGOS.
Objectives of the Mission
Ensuring data continuity of ocean color and wind vector data to maintain operational applications.
To improve the applications, adjusting the number of bands in the optical region for some additional datasets such as sea surface temperature and fluorescence.
Develop related algorithms and data products.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
ISRO was set up on 15 August 1969.
Chairman of ISRO: S Somnath
Headquarters of ISRO : Bengaluru, Karnataka
Space Station from where ISRO launches rockets :
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
5. India's first quantum computing based telecom network link activated
Tags: Science and Technology National News
The first quantum computing-based telecom network link has been activated in India and is located between Sanchar Bhawan and National Informatics Center (NIC) office at CGO Complex in New Delhi.
An Overview of the News
Telecom Network Link provides quantum secure communications, making it highly resistant to hacking attempts and cyber threats.
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav inaugurated a small exhibition of quantum computing firms, inviting them to run pilot projects for communication networks and the Indian Railways.
Using quantum computing, the telecommunications sector will benefit from faster and more secure communications, which can lead to improved network reliability and better user experiences.
About Quantum Computing
It uses qubits instead of classical bits to perform calculations, enabling it to perform calculations much faster than classical computers.
Quantum computers use quantum-mechanical phenomena such as superposition and complexity to perform calculations.
Potential applications of quantum computing include such revolutionary fields as cryptography, chemistry and materials science.
Challenges facing quantum computing include the issue of qubit decoherence and the high cost of building and maintaining quantum computers.
6. NASA to send 4 humans to live on Mars from June 2023
Tags: Science and Technology
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is training four people to live on Mars in June 2023.
An overview of the news
These four 'Martians' will be part of NASA's human exploration mission to Mars.
These four people will be a part of NASA's Human Exploration Journey to Mars.
In addition, NASA is sending a satellite, the InSight lander, a robotic helicopter and related systems to Mars, which will conduct comprehensive investigations of Mars.
NASA is working on a plan for three such trips to Mars.
The US space agency is planning three such missions to better understand Mars.
Living space on Mars
The 3D-printed habitat has private crew quarters, a kitchen and dedicated areas for medical, recreation, fitness, work and crop development activities, a technical work area and two bathrooms.
Crew members will perform a variety of mission activities, including simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, personal hygiene, exercise and crop growth.
About NASA
NASA was formed under the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 19, 1948, in place of its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters- Washington D.C.
Administrator - Bill Nelson
7. For the first time in the country, the decision on bail in the case of 'murder' with the help of ChatGPT
Tags: Science and Technology National News
For the first time in the country, the Punjab and Haryana High Court used Artificial Intelligence based ChatGPT (ChatGPT) during the hearing of the bail plea in the murder case on March 27.
An overview of the news
Justice Anoop Chitkara used ChatGPT to assess the worldwide outlook on bail in a murder case.
He asked AI tool ChatGPT 'What is the jurisprudence on bail when the assailants brutally attack?'
ChatGPT then offered a comprehensive three-paragraph reply on bail jurisprudence in such cases.
Thereafter, the court refused the bail and dismissed the petition.
However, the court clarified that any reference to ChatGPT and any comment made was not an expression of opinion on the merits of the case.
The court also asked the trial court not to take into account the observations relating to the response of ChatGPT.
The Court noted that the petitioner had a criminal history of two cases of attempt to murder.
What is ChatGPT?
It is a natural language processing tool powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that allows chatbots to do much more than just have human-like conversations.
This language model can answer questions and assist with tasks such as writing emails, essays and code.
ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI and research company.
The company launched ChatGPT on 30 November 2022.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
It is a broad branch of computer science that deals with the creation of smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
8. IIT Madras researchers develop pocket-friendly device to detect adulteration in milk
Tags: Science and Technology
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based portable device that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds.
An overview of the news
This new technology can be used at home and only one milliliter of liquid sample is required to test for adulteration.
The device can detect various commonly used adulterant agents such as detergent, soap, hydrogen peroxide, urea, starch, salt, and sodium-hydrogen-carbonate.
The traditional methods to test the purity of milk which are expensive and time consuming, this new technology is cost effective.
This new technology can also be used to test other liquids such as water, fresh juices and milkshakes.
Only one milliliter sample of any liquid will be sufficient to test for adulteration.
About Device
The 3D paper-based microfluidic device has a top and bottom cover, and a middle layer with a sandwich structure.
It helps in transporting dense liquids at a uniform speed.
A reagent is applied to its paper and left to dry.
After drying the paper is applied to the device and both the covers are sealed with double sided tape.
Whatman filter paper grade 4 is used in this design, allowing for greater liquid flow and reagent storage.
9. ICAR discovers new fish species in Cuddalore, names it after Tamil Nadu
Tags: Science and Technology
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists have discovered a moray eel fish of the genus Gymnothorax off the Cuddalore coast.
An overview of the news
Scientists have named it after the "Tamil Nadu brown moray eel" of Tamil Nadu whose common name is "Gymnothorax tamilnaduensis".
Researchers from ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) conducted an exploration along the coastal waters at Parangipettai and Mudasalodai fish landing centers in Cuddalore district.
The team found a new species of fish after extensive morphological analysis, skeletal radiography and testing by advanced molecular markers.
The scientists concluded that the species found was a moray eel, a typical species of the genus Gymnothorax.
With this, new found fish species of Gymnothorax the number has increased to 29, hitherto Indian waters had 28 species of Gymnothorax.
This new species is found in the Bay of Bengal, south-east coast of India.
The holotype of this new species is registered at the National Fish Museum and Repository, ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow.
The name of the fish species is registered in the Zoobank, the online registration system for the international commission on Zoolgical Nomenclature (ICZN).
About Indian Council of Agricultural Research
It is an autonomous body formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.
Headquarters - New Delhi
Established - 1929
The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. Presently its president is Narendra Singh Tomar.
ICAR is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
10. ISRO launches heaviest rocket LMV-3
Tags: Science and Technology National News
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 26 March successfully launched India’s largest Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) rocket/OneWeb India-2 Mission with 36 satellites onboard from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
An overview of the news
The LVM-III will deploy 36 satellites of the UK-based Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The OneWeb Group Company has inked a contract with ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd to launch 72 satellites into LEO.
The first satellite deployment collaboration between the two organisations took place in October 2022 with ISRO launching 36 satellites of OneWeb.
In the second mission on 26 March, the remaining 36 satellites, each weighing approximately 5805 kg, were placed into a circular low Earth orbit of 450 km by the LVM3 M3 launch vehicle.
LVM3 had five consecutive successful missions including the Chandrayaan 2 mission.
About OneWeb
OneWeb is a global communication network powered from space, enabling connectivity for governments and businesses.
Bharti Enterprises is a major investor in OneWeb group.
After the SSLV-D2/EOS07 mission in February, the OneWeb India-2 Mission is ISRO’s second successful launch this year.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
It was established on 15 August 1969.
It is the national space agency of India. It launches its space rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Headquarter: Bengaluru
Chairman: S Somnath
