Mentor july 2017 national india launches South-Asia satellite

Large Hadron Collider restarts for 2017 run

The world’s largest and most powerful particle smasher Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has restarted circulating beams of protons for the first time this year, following a 17-week-long extended technical stop. Each year, the machines shut down over the winter break to enable technicians and engineers to perform essential repairs and upgrades, but this year the stop was scheduled to run longer, allowing more complex work to take place. Work this year included the replacement of a superconducting magnet in the LHC, the installation of a new beam dump in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) and a massive cable removal campaign. Among other things, these upgrades will allow the collider to reach a higher integrated luminosity — the higher the luminosity, the more data the experiments can gather to allow them to observe rare processes.

Large Hadron Collider:

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. Built by: European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) Aim: to allow physicists to test the predictions of different theories of particle physics and high-energy physics, and particularly prove or disprove the existence of the theorized Higgs boson and of the large family of new particles predicted by supersymmetric theories. The LHC consists of a 27-kilometre ring of superconducting magnets with a number of accelerating structures to boost the energy of the particles along the way.

How it operates?

Inside the accelerator, two high-energy particle beams travel at close to the speed of light before they are made to collide. The beams travel in opposite directions in separate beam pipes – two tubes kept at ultrahigh vacuum. They are guided around the accelerator ring by a strong magnetic field maintained by superconducting electromagnets.

The electromagnets are built from coils of special electric cable that operates in a superconducting state, efficiently conducting electricity without resistance or loss of energy. This requires chilling the magnets to 3°C – a temperature colder than outer space. For this reason, much of the accelerator is connected to a distribution system of liquid helium, which cools the magnets, as well as to other supply services. Just prior to collision, another type of magnet is used to “squeeze” the particles closer together to increase the chances of collisions. The particles are so tiny that the task of making them collide is akin to firing two needles 10 kilometres apart with such precision that they meet halfway.
European XFEL generates its first laser beam

The European XFEL is going to be the world’s biggest X-ray laser when it launches in September, but the science team is already celebrating as the device just completed its last major test, shining its powerful X-ray beam for the first time.

About XFEL: The European XFEL is a research facility in Hamburg and Schenefeld. Eleven countries are involved in the European XFEL. XFEL stands for free-electron lasers for X-ray light. The facility is 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) long and produces X-rays through the acceleration of electrons, the so-called synchrotron radiation. The tiny particles are first pushed to almost the speed of light in a 2.1-kilometer (1.3-mile) accelerator tunnel and then 17,290 permanent magnets with alternating poles get them on a slalom course, forcing them to release short X-ray bursts. These X-rays have a wavelength of 0.8 nanometers, about the width of an atom and 500 times smaller than visible light. Their size makes the European XFEL an important instrument, as it can create pictures and movies with atomic resolution. Powerful X-ray lasers around the world have already been used to look at biological and chemical reactions, peering futher and further into the nano world.

Potential applications: The X-ray laser light of the European XFEL is extremely intense and a billion times brighter than that of conventional synchrotron light sources. The achievable laser light wavelength corresponds to the size of an atom, meaning that the X-rays can be used to make pictures and films of the nanocosmos at atomic resolution – such as of biomolecules, from which better understandings of the basis of illnesses or the development of new therapies could be developed. Other opportunities include research into chemical processes and catalytic techniques, with the goal of improving their efficiency or making them more environmentally friendly; materials research; or the investigation of conditions similar to the interior of planets.

A way to use water to convert methane into methanol

A team of researchers has developed a one-step process that uses water to convert methane to methanol. This method in addition to offering a simple and relatively cheap way to make methanol, offered hydrogen as the only byproduct.

Significance of this move:

Methane has been identified as a greenhouse gas, one that is perhaps more of a problem even than carbon dioxide because it traps more heat (some studies have suggested 25 times as much)—fortunately, not nearly as much of it is emitted by humans into the atmosphere. It makes its way into the atmosphere due to animal flatulence and some industrial processes. It is also a byproduct at gas wells, where it is generally burned.

Methanol, on the other hand, has been considered a good alternative to gasoline for use in automobile engines. It is currently made using a variety of techniques and basic materials including coal, natural gas and even municipal waste.

How was it converted?

Water is used to oxidize methane over a bed of copper containing zeolite—the unique structure of the mineral lets the water behave as an oxidant. The team claims the process is 97 percent efficient, emitting only methanol and hydrogen. The method, the researchers note, is simple and easy enough that it could be used at drilling sites and the resulting methanol could be used as a liquid fuel or as an ingredient in making resins or plastics. The hydrogen could be used in any number of ways, including in fuel cells.

In NTD fight, the end in sight

Around the world, nearly 1.6 billion people are affected by a group of diseases so ignored that the term used to refer to them is called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

What you need to know about NTDs?

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries and affect more than one billion people, costing developing economies billions of dollars every year. They mainly affect populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over 1.5 billion of the world’s most impoverished people, including 875 million children. They cause severe pain, long-term disability, and are the cause of death for over 170,000 people per year. Amongst children, infection leads to malnutrition, cognitive impairment, stunted growth, and the inability to attend school. Adults suffer from social isolation and are unable to work, and anemia caused by NTDs increases the risk of maternal mortality.

What needs to be done?

The Indian government has set itself the target of eliminating kala-azar and filariasis by 2017, and leprosy by 2018. With such ambitious targets, sustained research must remain an integral component of disease elimination programmes. Besides basic research — the discovery of new facts about a disease, vaccines and drugs — new strategies are needed to make an impact.

For programmes to succeed, it is important to maintain constant vigilance through robust surveillance and reporting mechanisms. Partnerships with diverse stakeholders including the private sector, community-based organisations, and community leaders are specifically useful in creating awareness, improving case detection, treatment completion and, most importantly, managing stigma associated with these diseases.

While tackling NTDs, it will be important to remember that along with timely diagnosis and treatment access in unreached areas, focussing on the fundamentals of preventive interventions, nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are essential in fast-tracking the ultimate goal of elimination.

MISCELLANEOUS

PM Inaugurates Country’s Longest Bridge in Assam and Names it Bhupen Hazarika Bridge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated India’s longest river bridge – the Dhola-Sadia Bridge in Assam. He has also renamed the bridge as Bhupen Hazarika Bridge. The construction of the bridge began in 2011. The cost of the project is about Rs 2056 crores.

Salient Features

Dhola-Sadia Bridge is a three lane bridge stretching 9.15 kilometre built over river Lohit, which is a tributary of the Brahmaputra river. The Dhola-Sadiya bridge is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra–Worli Sea Link in Mumbai which is the longest bridge in the country as of now. The bridge will connect Sadia, which is 540 Km from Guwahati and Dhola, situated 300 Km from Itanagar. The bridge has been designed to withstand the weight of 60-tonne battle tanks. This will be the only bridge in the region that will be strong enough to withstand the travel of tanks to Tinsukia, a place from where Indian troops usually enter Arunachal.

India’s First Underwater Rail Tunnel Completed

The two organizations Afcons Transtonnelstroy and Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd (KMCRL) involved in implementing the East West Metro have completed boring the India’s first underwater tunnel under the Hooghly river to link Howrah and Kolkata. The length of Kolkata’s East West Metro is 16.6 km long. Out of which a length of 502 metres is under the Hooghly river. The project is built by Afcons Transtonnelstroy and implemented by KMRCL. Afcons Transtonnelstroy is an Indo-Russian joint venture. The project connects Howrah to the west and Salt lake to the east. Digging the underwater tunnel was the critical task in the project. A massive tunnel boring machine called Rachna was used for boring the underwater tunnel.

Inauguration of Integration of eSanad with CBSE’s Academic Repository

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has jointly inaugurated the integration of E-Sanad with CBSE’s digital repository ‘Parinam Manjusha’ in New Delhi.

Salient Highlights

E Sanad is an e-service for online verification and attestation of documents of Indian citizens. E-Sanad an initiative under the Digital India programme that aims to offer faceless, cashless, contactless and paperless document attestation/apostille services. It will benefit the applicants in India and those travelling abroad as it will enable them to get their documents attested and verified. It will facilitate digital verification by foreign governments. The integration will pave way for the seamless electronic movement of the documents among the stakeholders. It allows online filing of applications and saves precious time and money of applicants who at present are required to travel long distances for getting attested by the concerned authorities in States. eSanad has been designed and developed by NIC. eSanad has been integrated with Non- Tax Receipt Portal (NTRP) for enabling cashless payment.

Implementation

The eSanad will be implemented in phases. In the first phase, the initiative has been launched in five passport offices and is in the process of being implemented in the Apostille/ Attestation Cell of the Ministry. For implementation in States, the initiative is being rolled out on a pilot basis in Telangana. Telangana has become the first state in the country where the pilot ‘e-Sanad’ project has been rolled out.

Second Prototype of Light Utility Helicopter Completes Maiden Flight

The second prototype of the Light Utility Helicopter, LUH PT2, has successfully completed its first flight by flying smoothly for 22 minutes in Bengaluru. The second prototype is the improved version of the PT1, which undertook its first flight on September 6, 2016 and later in the Aero India 2017 show in February. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is developing the three-tonne-class LUH as a reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft for military and civili users. HAL is expected to finalize the helicopter’s design by the this year end. After getting necessary certificates the HAL will manufacture the aircraft and its components in its facility coming up in Tumakuru. The aircraft is being manufactured by the HAL as a part of its Make in India campaign in rotary and fixed wing aircraft. Light Utility Helicopter LUH is being designed to fly 350 km non stop at a speed of 220 kmph. The aircraft is capable of reaching a maximum height of 6.5 Km and can carry a payload of 400 kg. The engine of LUH is capable of delivering 750 KW of power and will permit flight operations at an altitude as high as 6,500 metres (21, 325 feet) and thus permitting the aircraft to fly to India’s highest posts in Siachen Glacier Sector. The light utility helicopter (LUH) will replace the obsolescent fleet of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters that have been in use for more than three decades. Apart from military use, LUH is also being developed to capture a sizeable share in both domestic and international market. HAL’s helicopter division has already designed two successful indigenous programmes- the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).

Free Wi-Fi facility inaugurated at 28 Railway Stations

On May 21, Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu inaugurated free Wi-Fi facility at 28 Railway Stations of Konkan Railway from Kudal Railway Station in Maharashtra. Indian Railways has tied by with SYSCON/JOISTER for providing 2 Mbps peer-to-peer 24 hrs Free Wi-Fi bandwidth at 28 railway stations of Konkan Railway.

In line with Government’s Digital India initiative, SYSCON/JOISTER are providing the JOISPOT brand Wi-Fi in Pune and Mumbai educational institutions in Maharashtra state. The company has now undertaken as a part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activity of providing free Wi-Fi to rural area on the Konkan Route.

The 28 stations include Kolad; Mangaon; Veer; Karanjadi; Vinhere; Diwankhavati; Khed; Anjani; Chiplun; Kamthe; Sawarda; Aravali Road; Sangameshwar; Ukshi; Bhoke; Ratnagiri; Nivasar; Adavali; Vilavade; Rajapur Road; Vaibhavwadi Road; Nandgaon Road; Kankavali; Sindhudurg; Kudal; Zarap; Sawantwadi Road and Madure. The free Wi-Fi facility would help the travelers, commuters and tourists access essential information while waiting for trains on railway stations.

Study on Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM) for Solar Power Generation Projects in Solar Rich Countries Commissioned

India along with countries like Argentina, Burkina-Faso, Chad, France, Ivory Coast, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Yemen has jointly commissioned a study to define and structure a Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM) for solar power generation projects in solar rich countries. The commissioning of the study is aimed at dramatic reduction in the cost of finance for renewable energy and the overall price of electricity. The exercise is part of the international efforts aimed at implementing the the Paris Declaration of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) adopted on 30 November 2015. The study has been entrusted to a task force chaired by Terrawatt Initiative (TWI), the World Bank Group, the Currency Exchange Fund (TCX), the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and also the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Each of the participating countries will also appoint a qualified representative who will cooperate with the task force and provide information regarding the country specific expectations, experience and needs of the task force. All the countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics are also invited to join the task force and support this initiative in order to attract investments into solar sector.

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water calculates the cost of capital to form a substantial amount in the total costs of renewable energy. In India it accounts for 70% of the total cost of solar Power. In this regard, the CRMM is expected to offer a simple and affordable tool that will develop a secure environment for private institutional investment in solar assets.
Madhav Chitale Committee Recommends Measures for De-silting Ganga

The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation had constituted a committee to prepare guidelines for desiltation of Ganga River last year. The four member committee is headed by Madhav Chitale (Expert Member of National Ganga River Basin Authority). The other members of the committee include Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and Dr. Mukesh Sinha, Director, Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune. The committee was constituted as per the commitment made by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti while chairing the 6th meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority in New Delhi in July, 2016.

Salient Recommendations

The committee has recommended a series of measures that includes creation of sand registry for de-silting of the Ganga, study to guide de-silting activities and establishment of a technical institute to conduct the sediment budget. The committee has recommended for the establishment of an institute for flood routing studies. The committee has observed that erosion, sediment transport and siltation are very complex phenomena and hence ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach cannot be applied to sediment management and control as the issues involved are regionally-specific. So, the committee suggests to evolve guidelines, better broad principles while planning and implementing de-silting works as the indiscriminate se-siltation works may cause more harm to ecology. The committee recommends good agricultural practices, river bank anti-erosion works and reclamation of adjoining lakes along the river. The committee also favors de-silting of adjoining lakes to increase their storage capacities. It has recommended dredging of shoals in the Farakka Barrage and usage of such sediments for re-grading the Farakka Feeder Canal. It has also suggested to modify the bridges across the Ganga which are causing large afflux.

Prime Minister Releases Book Series written by MS Swaminathan

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a two-part book series written by the eminent agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. The series is titled – M.S. Swaminathan: The Quest for a world without hunger. MS Swaminathan Dr. M S Swaminathan is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India. He is the founder and Chairman of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai. The Indian Government has honored him with its prestigious national decorations like Padma Shri and Padma Bhusan and he has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes and medals from all over the world. He has been named Commandeur of the Order of the Golden Ark of the Netherlands, and has received the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, the Ordre du Merite Agricole of France, and the Golden Heart Presidential Award of the Philippines. He has been awarded the Charles Darwin International Science and Environment Medal, the Volvo Environment Prize, the UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal, and the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development — to name just a few. In 1987, he was the first recipient of the World Food Prize, considered equal to a Nobel in the field of agriculture. Some of the other books written by Dr. M S Swaminathan are: An Evergreen Revolution (2006), I Predict: A Century of Hope Towards an Era of Harmony with Nature and Freedom from Hunger (1999), Gender Dimensions in Biodiversity Management (1998), Implementing the Benefit Sharing Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: Challenges and opportunities (1997), Agrobiodiversity and Farmers’ Rights (1996), Sustainable Agriculture: Towards Food Security Farmers’ Rights and Plant Genetic Resources: A dialogue (1995), Wheat Revolution: a Dialogue (1993).

Bilateral Exercise SIMBEX-17 between Indian & Republic Of Singapore Navy Commences

The 24th bilateral exercise involving Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy has commenced in South China Sea. SIMBEX stands for “Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises“. The exercise will be held from May 18, 2017 to May 24, 2017. This edition of the bilateral exercise aims at increasing the interoperability among the two navies as well as developing a common understanding and procedures among the two navies for maritime security operations. The major thrust of the exercise will lie on Anti-Submarine Operations (ASN), integrated operations with Surface, Air and Sub-surface Forces, Air Defence and Surface Encounter Exercises. The exercise would be conducted into two phases-the Harbour Phase and the Sea Phase. The Indian Navy will be represented by Indian Naval Ships Shivalik, Sahyadri, Jyoti and Kamorta, one P8-I Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft. INS Sahyadri and INS Shivalik are both multi-role stealth frigates. INS Kamorta is an indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette. lNS Jyoti is the fleet replenishment tanker. P 8I Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft is a long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti- Submarine (LRMRASW) aircraft. The Singapore Navy will be represented by naval ships Supreme, Formidable and Victory, Maritime Patrol Aircraft Fokker F50 as well as RSAF F-16 aircraft.

The Indian & Republic of Singapore Navy began participating in the bilateral exercises in 1994. Since then the two navies share a long standing relationship with regular professional interactions that include exchange programs, staff talks and training courses. The earlier edition of the bilateral exercise, SIMBEX-16 was held at Visakhapatnam in Bay of Bengal.
Indian Scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni Wins Prestigious Dan David Prize

Indian scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni has won the prestigious Dan David prize as a recognition for his contributions made in the field of astronomy. Shrinivas Kulkarni, a professor of astrophysics and planetary science at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, is a pioneer in the field of time-domain astrophysics. He has been credited for building and conducting the Palomar Transient Factory, which is a large-area survey of the night sky that has turned up with thousands of stellar explosions. Shrinivas kulkarni would share the award with Andrej Udalski of the University of Warsaw and Neil Gehrels of NASA for their discoveries on time-domain astrophysics in the “Future” category of the prize. With this award, Shrinivas Kulkarni will join other prominent Indians who have won the Dan David prize like noted author Amitav Ghosh, music conductor Zubin Mehta and renowned chemist CNR Rao.

Dan David Prize

The Dan David Foundation was established in 2000 by the late Dan David, an international businessman and philanthropist. Three Dan David prizes of $1 million each are awarded each year in the categories of “Past,” “Present” and “Future” to people who have made exemplary contributions to humanity in the field of sciences, humanities, or for their work in civil society. The recipients in the “Past” category are chosen from the field of history, archaeology, paleontology, biography, etc;. The recipients in the “Present” category are chosen from arts, media, policy, economics, etc. The recipients in the “Future” category are chosen from one of the exact or natural sciences. The prize mandates the laureates to donate 10% of their prize money to provide scholarships for graduate or post-graduate researchers in their respective fields.