Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI)
- MSCI is the world’s biggest index compiler, with more than $10 trillion in assets benchmarked to its products.
- Recently it said, China’s local currency shares referred to as China ‘A’ shares would be added to the index.
- MSCI is closely tracked by global investors and inclusion of china’s shares will open up investment interest from foreign investors and adds financial credibility.
- If china continues to gain more weightage on the index, more money could flow out of India.
NISAR
- NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR) is the world’s most expensive earth imaging satellite.
- NISAR is dual frequency RADAR, it is an L-band and S-band RADAR. It is the first such satellite using dual frequency RADAR.
- The S-band is being built by ISRO and L-band by NASA.
- It is expected that the NISAR satellite will be launched in 2021 from India using the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
- One of the main purposes of the mission is to observe Earth and establish a general pathway for future joint missions for Mars exploration.
- It will take weekly snapshots of earth that will provide time lapse images of the motion of tectonic plates, ice sheets and changes in vegetation over land in agriculture and forests.
- NISAR will provide a means of resolving highly spatial and temporally complex processes ranging from ecosystem disturbances, to ice sheet collapse and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides.
Lord Jagannath Temple
- The Jagannath Temple of Puri is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Vishnu located on the eastern coast of India, in the state of Odisha.
- The temple is an important pilgrimage destination and one of the four great 'Char Dham' pilgrimage sites.
- The construction of the Jagannath temple was initiated by King Anantavarma Chodagangadeva in 12th century.
- The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival.
- Anantavarma Chodagangadeva is also known for building the Sun temple of Konark and Puri is considered as the cultural capital of Odisha.
