Deep Ocean Mission
- The Central government has drawn up a 5-year plan to explore the deep ocean.
- Ministry of Earth Sciences has been tasked with coordinating the exercise.
- The ministry has recently unveiled the blueprint of "Deep Ocean Mission".
- The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started by ISRO about 35 years ago.
- The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) allotted to India (2.2 million sq.km) in the international waters will be covered under this mission.
- The focus will be on technologies for deep-sea mining, underwater vehicles, underwater robotics and ocean climate change advisory services.
- Under this mission, the key deliverables are
- Offshore desalination plant that will work with tidal energy, and
- Developing a submersible vehicle that can go to a depth of at least 6,000 metres with three people on board.
India and Central Indian Ocean Basin
- India has exclusive right to explore deep sea mineral - polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central Indian Ocean Basin.
- A long–term Polymetallic Nodules programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- This right in the international water is allocated by International Seabed Authority (ISA).
- ISA is a UN body set upto regulate the exploration and exploitation of marine non-living resources of oceans in international waters.
- It is headquartered at Kingston, Jamaica.
- In 2016, India was re-elected as a member of Council of ISA.
National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System
- India is planning to procure National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAM - II) from U.S.
- It is an advanced air defence system.
- It is the state-of-the-art defense system that has ability to quickly identify and destroy enemy aircraft, UAV or emerging cruise missile threats.
- NASAMS-II is an upgraded version of the NASAMS and features new 3D mobile surveillance radars and 12 missile launchers for quicker reaction.
- It is proposed to be deployed to protect national capital region.
- It will help in preventing 9/11-type attacks in Delhi.
Advanced Air Defence systems in India
- India is deploying a multi-tiered air defence network to fully secure its airspace from incoming fighter aircraft, missiles and UAV.
- An indigenous two tired defence shield known as "Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD)", to destroy enemy ballistic missiles is being developed.
- The BMD consists of two interceptor missiles,
- The Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) for exo-atmospheric (high) altitudes of 50–80 km and
- The Advanced Area Defence (AAD) missile for endo-atmosphere (low) altitudes of 15-30 kilometers.
- India is also in an advanced stage of talks with Russia for the procurement of very long range S-400 air defence systems.
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
- TESS is NASA's latest satellite to search for planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets.
- The mission will spend the next two years monitoring the nearest and brightest stars for "Transits".
- Transits are events which denote a periodic dips in light of the star when a planet pass in front of it.
- It was launched in April this year and it has now started its search for planets around nearby stars.
- It is expected to transmit its first series of science data back to Earth in August, and thereafter periodically every 13.5 days.
- It is the next step in the search for planets outside of our solar system, including those that could support life.
National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women
- A permanent campus of National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women is going to be built at Mohali, Punjab.
- This is the first NSTI Institute for Punjab and only one of its kind in India which is exclusively for women.
- It is launched under "Skill India" Mission.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK)
- PMKK is established by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) across India.
- It aims to provide skill training for unemployed youth through its short-term training (STT) module and contribute to the capacity building of municipal employees through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program.
- PMKK for differently abled person is going to be launched in Mohali.
- It is also a first of its kind in India.
FASTag
- A FASTag is a reloadable tag that automatically deducts toll charges and allows a vehicle to pass through a toll gate without stopping for the payment.
- It uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to make cashless payments through a prepaid account linked to it.
- The tag is fixed to the windscreen of a vehicle and an RFID antenna in the canopy of the toll gate scans the QR code and lifts the barrier to allow a vehicle to pass through.
- The tag is valid for five years.
- It is coded in 7 different colors, each is assigned to a particular category of vehicles.
- It is mandatory for cars and trucks sold after December 1, 2017 to be fitted with a FASTag.
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also proposed to make FASTag compulsory for all commercial vehicles seeking a national permit.
- National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has a mobile application for FASTag that allows users to buy and recharge these tags as well as seek information on toll rates on different routes.
- It also allows the cab operators to track the movement of their vehicles as they receive SMS alerts.
- Users are refunded 5% of the total toll paid by them in a given month.
Source: The Hindu, PIB
