Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced to launch India’s own space station.
The space station is an artificial satellite placed in orbit and is used as a long-term base for manned operations in space.
The proposed Indian space station would be similar to the International Space Station but smaller in size weighing about 20 tones and would take another 5 to 7 seven years to construct.
India would be the fourth country to launch a space station as the US and Russia have already launched their space stations and China is planning to launch its in 2020.
The International space station (ISS) is currently the only active space station in the earth’s orbit.
ISS is a joint project between five participating space agencies NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
The Indian space station would be stationed at an altitude of 400 kilometres from Earth.
The newly planned Indian space station will conduct microgravity experiments in space where astronauts can stay for 15-20 days.
This project would be an extension of the Gaganyaan mission, which intends to put two or three Indian astronauts in space for a maximum of a week and is scheduled to be launched by August 2022.
Asiatic Golden Cat
The Asian golden cat is a wild cat native to the northeastern Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
It has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008, and is threatened by hunting pressure and habitat loss.
Since Southeast Asian forests are undergoing the world's fastest regional deforestation.
It is found across eastern Nepal through north-eastern India to Indonesia.
Recently scientists has found that Golden is no longer the only color that the elusive Asiatic golden cat can be associated with, its coat comes in five other shades.
The wide variation displayed in the cat’s coats provides them with several ecological benefits such as occupying different habitats at different elevations from wet tropical lowland forests to alpine scrubs and providing camouflage while preying.
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran.
It links the Persian Gulf in the north with Gulf of Oman to the south and Arabian Sea beyond.
It’s a narrow passage with a width of 36.8 nautical miles (68.2 km).
It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Kuwait and Iraq exports most of their crude through this Strait.
Almost 20% of total global oil consumption passes through the strait, making it a highly important strategic location for international trade
Due to this US has stationed its fleet with a task to protect the commercial shipping in the area.
IN Anti-Piracy Patrol
Indian Navy is on a mission based surveillance deployments in Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Indian Navy’s long range maritime anti-submarine warfare aircraft – P-8I undertakes anti-piracy patrol in private prone areas.
Since 2008, Indian Navy conducts anti-piracy mission in commercially significant Gulf of Aden.
Besides Indian vessels other nations vessels also been patrolled by Indian Navy in the IOR.
Navy undertakes Joint Exclusive Economic Zone Surveillance (EEZ) with Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius.
Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)
AES and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc.
The outbreak of JE usually coincides with the monsoon and post monsoon period when the density of mosquito increases while encephalitis due to other viruses especially entero-viruses occurs throughout the year as it is a water borne disease.
It predominantly affects population below 15 years, there is seasonal and geographical variation in the causative organism of the disease.
JEV has its endemic zones running along the Gangetic plane including states of UP (east), Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, and parts of Tamil Nadu.
Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is characterized by an acute onset of fever and clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma.
