Prelims Factoids
Jasraj Cultural Foundation

What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister rich tribute to Pandit Jasraj on the occasion of the Jayanti of the doyen of Indian Classical Music.
• The Prime Minister talked of the personification of immortal energy of music by Pandit Jasraj and lauded Durga Jasraj and Pandit Shaarang Dev for keeping alive the glorious legacy of the maestro.
• The Prime Minister was speaking at the launch of the Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation via video conferencing.

• He was an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana (musical apprenticeship lineage).
• His musical career spanned 75 years resulting in national and international fame, respect and numerous major awards and accolades.
• His legacy includes memorable performances of classical and semi-classical vocal music, classical and devotional music, albums and film soundtracks, innovations in various genres including Haveli Sangeeth and popularizing the Mewati Gharana - a school of thought in Hindustani classical music.
• Pandit Jasraj taught music to amateur and professional students in India, Europe, Canada and the United States.

• Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), under the Ministry of Ports, Ships and Waterways, has successfully delivered the second lot of three Floating Border Out-Post (FBOPs) vessels to the Border Security Force.
• CSL has got orders for building nine such FBOPs to protect Nation's water borders. Three more vessels are likely to be delivered in the coming months.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs in March 2019 had placed orders for Design, Construction and Supply of 09 FBOPs for the Water wing of Border Security Force.

• The FBOPs with an overall length of 46 meters and breadth of 12 meters are designed for deployment in Inland waters of India, specifically in the creek area of Kutch (Gujarat) and Sunderbans of West Bengal.
• The vessels are designed in-house by CSL and classed by Indian Register of Shipping and each FBOP vessel are designed with stowage arrangements for four fast patrol boats, which can be launched and hoisted using its own davit system.
• The vessel shall act as the floating base for the flotilla of fast patrol boats. The vessel is to supply Petrol, Fresh Water and provisions to the smaller boats.

• Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has notified the Scheme on Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector- Phase-II for providing assistance to Common Technology Development and Services Infrastructure.
• The scheme has a financial outlay of Rs. 1207 crores with Budgetary support of Rs.975 crore and Industry Contribution of Rs.232 crore . The scheme was notified on 25^th January, 2022.
• The objective of Phase II of the Scheme for Enhancement of Competitiveness of the Capital Goods Sector is to expand and enlarge the impact created by Phase I pilot scheme, thereby providing greater impetus through creation of a strong and globally competitive capital goods sector that contributes at least 25% to the manufacturing sector.

• Identification of Technologies through Technology Innovation Portals;
• Setting up of four New Advanced Centres of Excellence and augmentation of Existing Centres of Excellence;
• Promotion of skilling in Capital Goods Sector-creation of Qualification packages for skill levels 6 and above;
• Setting up of four Common Engineering Facility Centres (CEFCs) and augmentation of existing CEFCs;
• Augmentation of Existing Testing and Certification Centres;
• Setting up of ten Industry Accelerators for Technology Development

• Capital Goods Sector comprises of plant and machinery, equipment / accessories required for manufacture / production, either directly or indirectly, of goods or for rendering services, including those required for replacement, modernization, technological up gradation and expansion.
• The capital goods, or industrials sector, is a collection of companies that manufacture or distribute goods.
• It also includes packaging machinery and equipment, refrigeration equipment, power generating sets, equipment and instruments for testing, research and development, quality and pollution control.
• Capital Goods sector has multiplier effect and has bearing on the growth of the user industries as it provides critical input, i.e., machinery and equipment to the remaining sectors covered under the manufacturing activity.
• The capital goods industry contributes 12% to the total manufacturing activity which translates to about 1.8% of GDP.

• As 246 insurgents of two militant groups laid down their arms in Assam's Guwahati and returned to the mainstream
• In an arms laying ceremony held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, 169 insurgents of United Gorkha People's Organisation (UGPO) and 77 insurgents of Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA) surrendered their arms before Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma
• The insurgents of UGPO and TLA had deposited 277 various types of arms including rifles, pistols, grenades, 720 rounds of live ammunition.
• The Assam Chief Minister also distributed financial grant of Rs 1.5 lakh each to 662 former members of extremist groups RNLF, UPRF, NLFB, NSLA and ADF for their rehabilitation.
• January 27 is a historic day as it was on this day in 2020 Bodo Peace Accord was signed in New Delhi in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• The Assam Chief Minister called on the two remaining major extremist groups -- United Liberation Front of Asom - Independent (ULFA-I) and Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) -- to come forward and engage in peace talks with the Union government.

• Formed in 2014 to cater to the aspirations of the Tiwa community, the TLA was active in Morigaon, Nagaon and West Karbi Anglong districts of central Assam.
• The UGPO, formed in 2007, was mostly active in the Bodoland Territorial Region and Biswanath district.

• Tiwa (Lalung) is an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the states of Assam and Meghalaya in north-eastern India.
• They are also found in some areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
• They are recognized as a Scheduled tribe within the State of Assam.
• They were known as Lalungs in the Assamese Buranjis and in Colonial literature and in the Constitution of India, though members of the group prefer to call themselves Tiwa (meaning "the people who were lifted from below").

• A nematode infestation has resulted in the mortality of over 150 spot-billed pelicans at Telineelapuram Important Bird Area (IBA) in Naupada swamp of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.
• The forest officials said that the deaths of spot-billed pelicans started in December and at least 21 birds succumbed to the infestation in the past 72 hours alone.

• Over 150 spot-billed pelicans have succumbed to the infestation since December. Only adult birds have succumbed to the infestation till date.
• Until now, in South India, the Telineelapuram IBA is the prime winter sojourn for the spot-billed pelican for breeding. The same IBA is also a breeding habitat for the painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala).
• The nematode infestation would not spread from one species to another species as per the studies carried out by the experts in Karnataka State.
• The spot-billed pelican is capable of hunting huge fish from the water bodies and swamps and thus, it is vulnerable to infestation.
• Thousands of spot-billed pelicans and a few hundred painted storks migrate from the Siberian region to breed in the Telineelapuram IBA and a majority of them prefer to stay here instead of going back home.

Space Awareness/GSIII
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

What's the NEWS

• The ISRO chairman has mentioned the launch of an "SSLV-D1 Micro SAT in April 2022."
• ISRO's indigenous new launch rockets, called the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), will have its much-delayed, maiden development flight this April.

Know! about SSLV

• The SSLV is intended to cater to a market for the launch of small satellites into low earth orbits which has emerged in recent years on account of the need for developing countries, private corporations, and universities for small satellites.
• The launch of small satellites has until now been dependent on ‘piggy-back' rides with big satellite launches on ISRO's work-horse - the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle which has had over 50 successful launches so far.
• The launch of small satellites as a consequence has been dependent on the finalising of launch contracts for the larger satellites by ISRO.
• The SSLV can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg to a low earth orbit while the tried and tested PSLV can launch satellites weighing in the range of 1000 kg.
• The SSLV is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO. It will take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now for a launch vehicle.
• Only six people will be required to do the job, instead of 60 people. The entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around Rs 30 crore. It will be an on-demand vehicle.

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