Indian-origin Ashutosh Tiwari-led Utah Engineers discovered 2D Semiconducting Material made of Tin Monoxide
19-FEB-2016
Engineers belonging to the University of Utah, the USA, discovered a new kind of 2D semiconducting material for electronics that is made up of the elements tin and oxygen or tin monoxide (SnO).
The discovery was made by a team of engineers led by Indian-Orgin Ashutosh Tiwari and published online on 15 February 2016 in the journal Advanced Electronic Materials.
The only one atom thick 2D SnO material allows electrical charges to move through it much faster than conventional 3D materials such as silicon and will facilitate development of much speedier computers and smartphones.
Differences between 2D and 3D materials
Transistors and other components used in electronic devices are currently made of 3D materials such as silicon and consist of multiple layers on a glass substrate. But the downside to 3D materials is that electrons bounce around inside the layers in all directions.
2D materials, which came into prominence five years ago, are made up of one layer with the thickness of just one or two atoms. Consequently, the electrons can only move in one layer so it’s much faster and the devices made up of them consume less power.
And, as the electrons move through one layer in 2D material instead of bouncing around in a 3D material, there will be less friction, meaning the processors will not get as hot as normal computer chips.
Difference between SnO and other 2D materials
While researchers in the field of materials science and engineering discovered new types of 2D material such as graphene, molybdenun disulfide and borophene, they are of limited use as they only allow the movement of N-type, or negative, electrons.
However, in order to create an electronic device, there is a need for semiconductor material that allows the movement of both negative electrons and positive charges known as “holes”.
The present SnO material fills this vacuum as it has become the first stable P-type 2D semiconductor material ever in existence.
Significance of the discovery
Typically, a computer processor is comprised of billions of transistors and the more transistors packed into a single chip the more powerful the processor can become.
With the availability of P-type and N-type 2D semiconductors, the scientists will be able to manufacture smaller and faster transistors than that are available now.
Since transistors are the lifeblood of all electronic devices such as computer processors and graphics processors the discovery could lead to development of computers and smartphones that are more than 100 times faster than regular devices.
The low-battery requirement of 2D semiconductor-based material is of particular significance for medical devices such as electronic implants that run longer on a single battery charge.
Scientists discovered five Jupiter-like Planets
19-FEB-2016
The team, led by Pierre Maxted of the Keele University in Staffordshire of UK, discovered five new Jupiter-like planets that orbits very close to their host stars. The discovered planets exhibits similar characteristics that of our solar systems biggest planet.
The findings of the discovery were published online on 4 February 2016 in the arXiv journal.
The planets were studied in their light curve by using the Wide Angle Search for Planets-South (WASP-South) instrument—an array of eight cameras observing selected regions of the southern sky. The instrument is located at the site of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), outside Sutherland in South Africa.
To confirm the planetary nature of the observed targets, the researchers used photometry from the EulerCam instrument on the Swiss Euler 1.2-m telescope and the TRAPPIST telescope, as well as spectroscopy obtained with the CORALIE spectrograph—all installed at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.
The newly discovered planets were designated WASP-119 b, WASP-124 b, WASP-126 b, WASP-129 b and WASP-133 b. Their masses range from 0.3 to 1.2 the mass of the Jupiter, with radii between one to 1.5 Jupiter radius, and their orbital periods vary from 2.17 to 5.75 days.
Orbital period of the five planets are
WASP-119 b – It is a typical hot with a mass of 1.2 of the mass of Jupiter. It orbital period is 2.5 days.
Its host star has a similar mass to the sun's but appears to be much older based on its effective temperature and density.
WASP-124 b – It is less massive than Jupiter (0.6 Jupiter masses) with an orbital period of 3.4 days and a much younger parent star.
WASP-126 b – The planet could be a good target for transmission spectroscopy due to its low surface gravity with a bright hot star. It is also the lowest-mass world found by Maxted's team.
WASP-129 b – It is a planet with longest orbital period with high surface gravity.
WASP-133 b – It has the shortest orbital period of the five presented in the study. It is slightly bigger than the solar system's most massive planet (1.2 of Jupiter's mass and 1.2 of its radius).
Union Government nod for building of 82000 houses for poor in urban areas of 163 cities
19-FEB-2016
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on 18 February 2016 sanctioned construction of around eighty two thousand houses for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in urban areas of 163 cities.
The cities are in West Bengal, Telangana, Bihar, Mizoram, Rajashtan, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. State wise number of houses sanctioned
• West Bengal - 27830 houses
• Telangana – 22817
• Bihar – 13315
• Mizoram – 8922
• Rajasthan – 6052
• Jharkhand—2337
• Uttarakhand - 484
According to the Ministry, the construction will involve an investment of over four thousand crore rupees, of which, the Union Government will provide an assistance of 1226 crore rupees. These 1226 crore rupees will be provided under the Prime Minister's Awas Yojana (Urban).
The proposals on sanctioning houses for EWS in urban areas by seven states was approved by an inter-ministerial Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee, chaired by HUPA Secretary Nandita Chatterjee.
How the constructions will be done?
• Of the total houses, 58456 houses will be built under the ‘Beneficary Led Construction’ component. Under this, beneficiaries will build new houses on their own land with assistance from the central and state governments.
• Rest of the houses will be built under the Affordable Housing in Partnership’ component under which state governments will provide land and the central government will give an assistance of 1.50 lakh rupees to each beneficiary.
With this decision, the Government has so far sanctioned over five lakh houses in different states. Under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (Urban), the government has targeted assisting construction of 2 crore houses for urban poor in 4041 statutory urban local bodies in the country.
Nepal decided to constitute 11-member political committee over provincial demarcations
19-FEB-2016
Nepal Government on 18 February 2016 decided to constitute an 11-member-political committee to study the demarcation of federal states on the constitution. It will also review the disputed provisions within the country’s new constitution that was adopted on 20 September 2015.
The 11-member will be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa and will also include representatives from the agitating Madhesis. Moreover, the committee will decide its terms of reference (ToR) on its own.
The committee is mandated to prepare its report and suggest recommendations within three months after it gets full shape.
The full shape to the committee will be given after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is back from his visit to India that started on 19 February 2016. Oli is on his first foreign visit since he became prime minister in October 2015.
Earlier, the three major parties of Nepal, namely Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) and the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) had agreed to form a high-level political committee to suggest a solution for the demarcation dispute within three months of its formation.
The Madhesis, who are largely of Indian-origin and are ethnic minority in Nepal, has been agitating against the adoption of the newConstitution by Nepal Constituent Assembly on 20 September 2015. They have been agitating against their marginalization in the new Constitution and had been demanding better representation in the Parliament and the federal structure of the new Constitution.
The agitation led to a crippling border blockade that ended earlier in February 2016 but not before leaving at least 50 people dead since September 2015.
US President Obama signed a new law imposing sanctions against North Korea
19-FEB-2016
United States (US) President Barack Obama on 18 February 2016 signed off a new law imposing new sanctions against North Korea. The new law is titled North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016.
The new law prescribing sanctions is aimed at punishing North Korea for its provocative recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
The law was passed by the US Congress on 12 February 2016 after North Korea refused to stop its nuclear programme.
South Korea's Parliament adopted a resolution denouncing DPRK's fourth nuclear test
The law calls for imposing mandatory sanctions on those assisting Pyongyang due to its nuclear and missile programs, cyberattacks, human rights abuses and imports of luxury goods.
The sanctions also aim at chocking off sources of cash for the regime by sanctioning trade in coal, minerals and precious metals. It blacklists those helping Pyongyang's money laundering, counterfeiting, cash smuggling and narcotics trafficking.
Pyongyang in January 2016 earned a global rebuke when it announced it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.
World Bank announced $150 million to combat Zika Virus in Latin America and the Caribbean
19-FEB-2016
The World Bank Group on 18 February 2016 announced 150 million US dollars in funding to combat Zika virus in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The funding is aimed at supporting the countries in the region that are projected to incur losses up to 3.5 billion US dollars or 0.06 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 due to the spread of Zika virus.
The World Bank announced funding as it was observed that a group of countries highly dependent on tourism—notably in the Caribbean—could suffer losses in excess of 1 percent of GDP.
Earlier, on 1 February 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Public Health Emergency of International Concern over Zika virus outbreak and urged international community to provide additional support to stem the impact of the virus.
What, Why & How of Zika Virus
Range of activities that will be undertaken with the funding are -
• Vector surveillance and control
• Identification of the people most at-risk, especially pregnant women and women of reproductive age
• Follow-up and care through pregnancy and postnatal care for neurological complications
• Promoting access to family planning
• Public awareness, self-protection measures, community mobilization
• Other activities that will ensure a robust, well-targeted, well-coordinated and multi-sectoral response
Eastern Command received Raksha Mantri’s Trophy for Best Service Hospital
19-FEB-2016
The Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata, on 18 February 2016 was awarded with the Best Service Hospital. The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar presented the trophy and citation to the hospital’s Commandant Major General TS Ahluwalia in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) in Kolkata.
The trophy for the Second Best Hospital was presented to INHS Asvini, Mumbai, which was received by its Commandant Surgeon Rear Admiral AA Pawar.
About Raksha Mantri’s Trophy
• The Raksha Mantri’s Trophy was instituted in 1989 to create a healthy competition among the Command Hospitals of the Army and its equivalent hospitals in the Navy and Air Force.
• The Best and Second Best Hospital are adjudged on the basis of a number of objective criteria by a Committee headed by Director General Health Services (Armed Forces).
Former West Indies cricketer Andy Ganteaume died
19-FEB-2016
Andy Ganteaume, the former West Indies and Trinidad & Tobago wicketkeeper-batsman, passed away on 17 February 2016 in Santa Margarita, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. He was 95.
Ganteaume was West Indies' oldest living Test cricketer, and the world's second oldest, after South Africa's Lindsay Tuckett.
Who was Andy Ganteaume?
• Andy Ganteaume was a Trinidadian cricketer who played one Test match for the West Indies in 1948 as a batsman.
• He scored 112 in his only Test innings, which left him with highest Test batting average in history.
• He played for Trinidad from a young age and was chosen to play in a Test match against England following his good batting form in 1948.
• In 1957, he toured England with West Indies but did not make the playing XI for any of the Tests.
Polish film director Andrzej Zulawski passed away
19-FEB-2016
Polish film director Andrzej Zulawski passed away on 17 February 2016 in Warsaw, Poland after a long struggle with cancer. He was 75.
Zulawski was known for an idiosyncratic approach to storytelling and blending surrealism, horror and psychic excess in the emotionally savage films like That Most Important Thing: Love, Possession and My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days. He often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences.
Zulawski went to France when his second feature The Devil was banned in Poland. After the success of That Most Important Thing: Love in 1975, he returned to Poland where he spent two years makingOn the Silver Globe. The work on this film was interrupted by the Polish authorities. After that, he moved to France where he became famous for controversial and violent art-house films.
Uttar Pradesh State Budget 2016-17 presented
19-FEB-2016
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 12 February 2016 presented the State Budget 2016-17 in legislative assembly. This was Akhilesh’s fifth consecutive budget as he also holds the portfolio of finance department.
The size of the budget is 346935 crore rupees and the Annual Budget for 2016-17 is 14.60 percent more than the Annual Budget for 2015-16.
The budget declares the year 2016-17 for farmers and the youth.
General Highlights
• The Budget has provision of 13842 crore rupees for new development schemes.
• It provides 1336 crore rupees for payment of cane arrear to farmers.
• The Budget estimates receipts of over 340120 crore rupees, including 281555 crore rupees and 58565 crore rupees under revenue and capital heads respectively.
• The revenue receipts comprise 206894 crore rupees as tax revenue share, of which 105637 crore rupees would accrue as UP's share in central taxes.
• It projects expenditure of 346935 crore rupees, including 253355 crore rupees and 93580 crore rupees by way of revenue and capital expenditure respectively.
• The Budget estimates fiscal deficit of 49960 crore rupees during 2016-17, which in absolute terms is 4.04 percent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP).
• The fiscal deficit includes bonds worth 13303 crore rupees issued under the central government's financial reorganisation scheme Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY). After deducting this amount, the fiscal deficit recedes to about 36658 crore rupees, which is 2.97 percent of the GSDP.
• The Budget estimates revenue surplus at 28200 crore rupees and the public debt of UP is estimated at 30.30 percent of the GSDP.
• After deducting total expenditure from receipts of consolidated fund, a deficit of 6814 crore rupees is estimated. Besides, net receipt of 7200 crore rupees is estimated from public account.
Welfare Schemes
• Samajwadi Pension Scheme: It proposed to increase the target of transferring pension in bank accounts of women beneficiaries from 45 lakh to 55 lakh under the Samajwadi Pension Scheme.
• Samajwadi Sarvhit Bima Yojana: It proposed to replace a farmer’s accident insurance scheme with the Samajwadi Sarvhit Bima Yojana wherein the family of the deceased farmer or one who is injured will get 5 lakh rupees as relief. In addition, they will receive 2.5 lakh rupees towards treatment and 1 lakh rupees for artificial limbs, if required. The scheme targets 2.5 crore farmers.
• Samajwadi Youth Employment Scheme: To help youth gain employment, this Scheme has been proposed.
• Samajwadi Yuva Swarozgaar Yojna: It also proposed to introduce to help youth set up own businesses in the small industries sector
• Samagra Gram Vikas Yojna: It announced 630 crore rupees under the Samagra Gram Vikas Yojna for building roads and bridges and 2300 crore rupees for drinking water facilities in villages.
• Bhoomi Sena Yojna: 83 crore rupees has been proposed for Bhoomi Sena Yojna under which uncultivable land is reclaimed and made arable. Also, proposed to distribute 93212 crore rupees in farming loans. 450 crore rupees has been proposed for crop insurance programmes
• Proposal w.r.t Electricity: Proposed to provide 16 hours of uninterrupted electricity in rural areas and 22-24 hours of electricity in urban areas. It also proposed to electrify all villages by October 2016. Electricity availability will be increased from 11000 megawatts (MW) to 21000MW
• Bundelkhand Region: Allocated 1238 crore rupes for drought-hit Bundelkhand, including an outlay of 200 crore rupees for drinking water, 500 crore rupees for surface water and 338 crore rupees for special schemes in the area.
• For Industrial development: It proposed 4003 crore rupees for the construction of Agra-Lucknow Expressway and 1500 crore rupees for the proposed Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia Samajwadi Purvanchal Expressway.
Standard Operating Procedure for
India-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol
signed
19-FEB-2016
Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy on 16 February 2016 signed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for India-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) at the Tri-Service Headquarters in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
With this signing of SOP, Myanmar became the third country with which India has signed a formal agreement for maritime coordinated patrols.
The signing of SOP reflects growing naval interaction between India and Myanmar. It will facilitate smooth conduct of coordinated patrols between two neighbours that share a long maritime boundary in the strategically significant Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.
The SOP was signed during the closing ceremony of the 4th IMCOR that was successfully held by the two navies along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Andaman Sea.
The 4-day long 4th IMCOR that began on 13 February 2016 and saw the participation of Indian Navy Ships Saryu and Bitraalong withMyanmar Ships Aung Zeya and FAC 563.
BHEL commissioned 270 MW unit of GVK power plant in Punjab
19-FEB-2016
State-run equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on 18 February 2016 commissioned a 270 MW generation unit at the Goindwal Sahib Thermal Power Project of private producer GVK Power & Infra in Punjab.
Thermal sets of 270 MW rating are in-house improvisations of the 210/250 MW sets supplied by the company earlier, which currently form the backbone of the Indian power sector and have been performing much above the national average as well as international benchmarks.
All the operational sets of 210-270 MW class in Punjab have been supplied, erected and commissioned by BHEL, i.e., six units of 210 MW at Ropar, 2 units of 210 MW and 2 units of 250 MW at Bhatinda, besides 270 MW Unit at Goindwal Sahib.
BHEL has earlier commissioned four hydro sets of 82.5 MW each at the Alaknanda Hydro Power Project in Uttarakhand by the same developer.
About Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is a power plant equipment manufacturer.
• It is owned by the Government of India.
• It was established in 1964.
• Heavy Electricals (India) Limited was merged with BHEL in 1974.
• It is India's largest engineering and manufacturing company of its kind
Veteran singer Ustad Abdul Rashid
Khan died
19-FEB-2016
Veteran Hindustani classical singer Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan died in Kolkata on 18 February 2016. He was 107.
Born in Uttar Pradesh in 1908, Khan belonged to Gwalior Gharana, was a resident Guru at ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata.
Khan's traditional compositions have been recorded by the BBC and Iraq Radio. On the other hand, organizations like Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academi, Lucknow and ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata have recorded and preserved many compositions.
He was a member of the All India Radio Audition Committee, New Delhi and was awarded with many titles by the organizations.
Awards and recognitions conferred
• In 2013, he became the oldest recipient of Padma Bhushan
• In 2013, he was given the life time achievement award by the Government of NCT of Delhi
• In 2010, he received Bhuwalka Award
• In 2009, he received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• In 2004, he was felicitated with the award of Ras Sagar in form of title award
• In 2003, he received Kashi Swar Ganga Award
6 Indian-American scientists selected for Presidential Early Career Awards
20-FEB-2016
President Barack Obama on 18 February 2016 named 106 researchers, including six of Indian origin, as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest US Government honour for young independent researchers.
he winners will receive their awards at a Washington, DC ceremony in the spring of 2016.
The White House announced the names of the following Indian-Americans who have been selected for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers:
Shwetak Patel (University of Washington)
• Patel is the Washington Research Foundation Entrepreneurship Endowed Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering.
• He is a nationally recognised expert in sensor systems research.
Rahul Mangharam (University of Pennsylvania)
Mangharam was selected for the award for having invented a new formal methodology to test and verify the correct operation of medical device software, saving lives and reducing care costs.
Sachin Patel (Vanderbilt University Medical Centre)
Patel is the Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Vanderbilt University Medical Centre.
Milind Kulkarni (Purdue University)
He is the associate professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University researches Programming Languages and Compilers that support efficient programming and high performance on emerging complex architectures.
Vikram Shyam (NASA)
Shyam is a technical innovator in fundamental aeronautics at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
Kiran Musunuru (Harvard University)
• He is the assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and Associate Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
• He has developed a genome editing approach for permanently reducing cholesterol levels in mice.
About Presidential Early Career
Awards for Scientists and Engineers
• The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honour bestowed by the United States Government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers.
• The White House, following recommendations from participating agencies, confers the awards annually.
• In February 1996, the National Science and Technology Council was commissioned by President Bill Clinton to create an award program that would honour and support the achievements of young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers in the fields of science and technology.
• The stated aim of the award is to help maintain the leadership position of the United States in science.
Indian Women Cricket Team won three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka
20-FEB-2016
The Indian women cricket team on 19 February 2016 won the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanks, 3-0. In the third and final match played in Ranchi, India defeated the Sri Lankan team by seven wickets.
Medium-pacer Deepti Sharma grabbed six wickets haul before Veda Krishnamurthy scored a half-century after India posted a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI.
Deepti Sharma, who played a pivotal role in steadying her side's innings, was adjudged the Player of the Match.
India had already won the three-match series after defeating the tourists Sri Lankan by six wickets in the second match at the same venue on 17 February 2016.
Amit Mitra named chairman of GST committee of state FMs
20-FEB-2016
The Finance Minister of West Bengal Amit Mitra on 19 February 2016 was named the chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Mitra will succeed Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani who had to resign in November 2015 over corruption charges.
Mitra will be the second chairman of the panel, tasked with framing rules for roll out of the GST regime, which will subsume all indirect taxes and create one national market, from West Bengal.
About Amit Mitra
• Amit Mitra is an Indian economist and politician representing All India Trinamool Congress and the current Finance, Commerce & Industries Minister of the Indian state of West Bengal.
• He is the incumbent MLA in the West Bengal state assembly from the Khardaha state assembly constituency.
• He previously served as the Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
About Goods and Services Tax Bill
• The Goods and Services Tax Bill or GST Bill, officially known as The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014, proposes a national Value Added Tax to be implemented in India from June 2016.
• GST will be a comprehensive indirect tax on manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services throughout India, to replace taxes levied by the Central and State governments.
• GST will be levied and collected at each stage of sale or purchase of goods or services based on the input tax credit method.
Sameer Anjaan entered Guinness Book of Records for writing 3524 songs
20-FEB-2016
Bollywood lyricist Sameer Anjaan on 17 February 2016 was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the Most prolific Bollywood lyricist ever who has composed 3524 different songs as of 15 December 2015.
Sameer has written 3524 songs in 650 Bollywood movies, and is now the first Guinness Record possessor in this particular category.
Sameer was presented with a certificate during a celebration ceremony held in Mumbai.
About Sameer Anjaan
• Officially named Shitala Pandey, Sameer's musical career was kick-started in 1983 when his first song appeared in the movie Bekhabar.
• Since then, his work has featured in 650 Bollywood movies and he has been nominated for a multitude of prestigious awards.
• In 1990, he came into limelight with hit songs in films such as Dil andAashiqui.
• He won his first Filmfare Award for the song Nazar Ke Saamne.
• He won two additional Filmfare Awards in 1993 and 1994; one for the song Teri Umeed Tera Intezaar from the movie Deewana, and second for the song Ghunghat Ki Aad from Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke.
Jharkhand State Budget 2016-17 presented
20-FEB-2016
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on 19 February 2016 presented the Annual State Budget 2016-17 in the legislative assembly. The focus of the budget was on agriculture and rural development.
General Highlights
• The total size of the budget is estimated at 63502.28 crore rupees
• Revenue receipts has been estimated at 55756.42 crore rupees for the year 2016-17
• Non-planned expenditure allocated 26437.34 crore rupees while planned expenditure allocated 37065.35 crore rupees
• Fiscal deficit to be brought down from present 2.28 percent of GSDP to 2.16 percent
• MLA's local area development funds increased from present three crores to four crores rupees a year
• Procedure for withdrawal of MLA areas development fund simplified and instead of district DDOs, a new DDO would be appointed in each Assembly constituency for smooth withdrawal of the fund
• Small traders given exemptions in the form of waiving of VAT registration fees and no new tax being proposed in the budget
• Proposes to increase the participation of Jharkhand in the Make in India initiative by introducing syllabus on it in schools
• To introduce Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Awas Yojana in the state
• Proposes to set up 71 Smart Police stations in 16 districts of the state
• To open engineering colleges per 20 lakh population
• To provide facilities to persons with per capita income below 72000 rupees
• To provide 24 hours electricity to villages by emphasizing on solar power generation and setting up a power plant at Deoghar
• Proposal to increase organic farming in the State by giving subsidy to the farmers for setting up bio-gas plants
• Proposes to implement Agriculture Single Window system in 100 Blocks of 24 districts
• To accelerate rural development through Yojana Banao Abhiyaan wherein programmes for the benefit of rural people will be made through their participation
Japan launched astronomy satellite ASTRO-H
20-FEB-2016
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on 17 February 2016 successfully launched astronomy satellite ASTRO-H from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The satellite was launched on-board the H-IIA rocket, which was previously known as the New X-ray Telescope (NeXT), and is expected to operate in low Earth orbit for three years.
Features of ASTRO-H Mission
• ASTRO-H is the eye to study the hot and energetic universe. The ‘H’ refers to the word Japanese word Hitomi that means pupil or entrance window of the eye.
• The mission involves the 2700-kilogram satellite that is equipped with 4 telescopes and 6 detectors, allowing it to study both “hard” and “soft” x-rays and gamma rays.
• The high-energy astronomy mission primarily seeks to study x-rays emanating mainly from black holes and galaxy clusters.
• The mission was led by the JAXA in partnership with the NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Netherlands Institute for Space Research and universities in Japan, Europe and North America.