NCERT GISTS TOPICS-Mountain,Plateau,Major Seasons of India

A Mountain is a high natural landform that projects above the surrounding land, in a limited area. It is only when the natural elevation of a landform is more than 1000 feet high above the sea level; it is termed as a mountain.

The peaks of many high mountains are snow-capped because the temperature dips below zero beyond a certain height. Owing to the extreme cold, the rivers in some mountains are permanently frozen. Such rivers of ice are called glaciers.

Mountains have been found under the sea also. Owing to the steep slopes, relatively less land is available for farming in the mountains. People in the mountainous regions practice terrace cultivation. A mountain range is the term used for mountains arranged in a line.

There are three different types of mountains on the earth’s surface:

• Fold mountains,

• Block mountains and

• Volcanic mountains

Fold mountains are a result of folding and are formed when collision occurs between two parts of the earth’s crust.  The oldest fold mountain system is found right here in India: The Aravali range.

Block mountains form when large areas of rock lying beneath the surface deposits of soil are broken and displaced in a vertical direction. The displacement of rocks results in elevated blocks known as horsts and lowered blocks known as grabens.

Volcanic mountains are formed because of volcanic activity. Glaciers in the mountains are source of water for many rivers. This water is stored in reservoirs and used by us for irrigation and generation of hydro-electricity.

Mountains act as storehouses of water for human beings. River valleys and terraces are used for cultivation of crops. Cardamom is produced through terrace cultivation. Mountains are also home to a variety of species of plants and animals. Therefore, tourists are also attracted to mountains for their scenic beauty.

The steep slopes of the mountains attract people who are involved in sports like paragliding, hand gliding, river rafting and skiing.

A Plateau is an elevated land with a flat top, bound by steep slopes on one or more sides. A plateau is also called a tableland. Plateaus cover about 45% of the earth’s surface.

Examples of plateaus are:

• The Deccan Plateau in India,

• The East African Plateau in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,

• The Western Plateau in Australia and

• The Tibet Plateau in East Asia

The Deccan Plateau of India is one of the oldest plateaus on the earth’s surface. The Tibet Plateau, is the youngest, highest and largest plateau in the world. Plateaus are formed by lava, rivers or wind.

Lava erupting from cracks on the earth’s surface spreads in the surrounding areas, then cools down, and eventually forms plateaus. Plateaus formed by lava are called lava plateaus.

As rivers flow down the slopes of high mountains, they carry stones and sand with the water. This results in the erosion of the mountains and formation of table lands or plateaus. Plateaus are created when winds wear away the side of an uplifted region and carry the debris to far-off places.

Plateaus are rich in mineral deposits, such as gold and iron. Waterfalls are fairly common in plateau regions. This is because there are often spots where river water falls from great heights. These waterfalls have added to the tourist attractions of these areas.

Lava plateaus have a high percentage of productive black soil containing calcium and magnesium carbonates. Crops like maize, cotton,ragi and chilli grow well in the black soil of plateau regions. The Deccan Plateau, which is a lava plateau, has an extensive deposit of black soil.

Tourists are attracted to plateaus for the beautiful scenery, flora and fauna.

Major Seasons of India--

The weather is the day-to-day change in the atmosphere of a place at a particular time. Change in weather includes the change in temperature, sunshine, humidity and rainfall. Weather changes in cycles known as seasons.

Weather is the state of atmosphere over a shorter period of time, like a day and can change on a daily basis.Climate is the state of the atmosphere that prevails over a longer period of time, like over 30 to 35 years and does not change as frequently as the weather.

Throughout the year, climate changes in cycles; these cycles are known as seasons. In India, we experience four major seasons i.e. summer, rainy,autumn and winter. During March, April and May the sun shines very brightly and the temperature soars. The air becomes very hot stating the onset of the summer season.

In some parts of India, hot and dry cutting winds blow during the summer called Loo. Loo mostly blows over the northern and the western parts of India. In India, the season of rains is called the monsoon season. A good monsoon means adequate rains and a good crop. A good crop means a good economy for the country.

There are two types of monsoon seasons. The Southwest monsoon season that marks the onset of rain begins in June and lasts until September. The Retreating monsoon season occurs in September and October.

The month of June, marks the onset of the south-west monsoon. The moisture laden winds blow from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal towards the mainland. The months of October and November mark the beginning of autumn during which the monsoon winds move back towards the sea.

The month of December marks the beginning of the winter season. In India, winters stretch from December to February. During this season, cool, dry winds blow from the north of India to the south of India.

India lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It is located in the tropical or the torrid zone. The general climate of India is hot and wet all-round the year. India’s climate can be described as the Monsoon type.

There are various factors that affect the climate of a place are location, altitude, distance from the sea, and relief.

Next topics to be done....

GIST-World Geography(overview)

Art & Culture-PREVIOUS YEARS QUESTIONS-2013-2014

4. With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements :

1. The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
2. The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
3. At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

6. The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsang) who visited India recorded the general conditions and culture of India at that time. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The roads and river—routes were completely immune from robbery.
2. As regards punishment for offences, ordeals by fire, water and poison were the instruments for determining the innocence or guilt of a person.
3. The tradesmen had to pay duties at ferries and barrier stations.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

36. Some Buddhist rock‐cut caves are called Chaityas, while the others are called Viharas. What is the difference between the two?

1. Vihara is a place of worship, while Chaitya is the dwelling place of the monks
2. Chaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks
3. Chaitya is the stupa at the far end of the cave, while Vihara is the hall axial to it
4. There is no material difference between the two

37. Which one of the following describes best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism?

1. The extinction of the flame of desire
2. The complete annihilation of self
3. A state of bliss and rest
4. A mental stage beyond all comprehension

45. Which of the following characterizes / characterize the people of Indus Civilization?

1. They possessed great palaces and temples.
2. They worshipped both male and female deities.
3. They employed horse‐drawn chariots in warfare.

Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below.

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. None of the statements given above is correct

47. Which of the following statements is/are applicable to Jain doctrine?

1. The surest way of annihilating Karma is to practice penance.
2. Every object, even the smallest particle has a soul.
3. Karma is the bane of the soul and must be ended.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. l, 2 and 3

52. Consider the following Bhakti Saints :

1. Daclu Dayal
2. Guru Nanak
3. Tyagaraja

Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over?

1. 1 and 3
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3
4. 1 and 2

57. Consider the following historical places :

1. Ajanta Caves
2. Lepakshi Temple
3. Sanchi Stupa

Which of the above places is/are also known for mural paintings?

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. None

58. With reference to the history of philosophical thought in India, consider the following statements regarding Sankhya school :

1. Sankhya does not accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration of soul.
2. Sankhya holds that it is the self‐knowledge that leads to liberation and not any exterior influence or agent.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

79. In the context of cultural history of India, a pose in dance and dramatics called Tribhanga' has been a favourite of Indian artists from ancient times till today. Which one of the following statements best describes this pose?

1. One leg is bent and the body is slightly but oppositely curved at waist and neck
2. Facial expressions, hand gestures and makeup are combined to symbolize certain epic or historic characters
3. Movements of body, face and hands are used to express oneself or to tell a story
4. A little smile, slightly curved waist and certain hand gestures are emphasized to express the feelings of love or eroticism

5. With reference to Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), consider the following statements :

1. lt is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
2. It strives to conserve nature through actionbased research, education and public awareness.
3. It organizes and conducts nature trails and camps for the general public.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

8. Consider the following languages :

1. Gujarati
2. Kannada
3. 'Telugu

Which of the above has/ have been declared as 'Classical Language/Languages' by the Government?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 8 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

21. In medieval India, the designations 'Mahadiara' and 'Pattakila' were used for

1. military officers
2. village headmen
3. specialists in Vedic rituals
4. chiefs of craft guilds

25. Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?

1. Avanti
2. Gandhara
3. Kosala
4. Magadha

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 2 and 4
3. 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 3 and 4

44. With reference to the cultural history of India, the term 'Panchayatan' refers to

1. an assembly of village elders
2. a religious sect
3. a style of temple construction
4. an administrative funtionary

47. Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?

1. Mirnamsa and Vedanta
2. Nyaya and Vaisheshika
3. Lokayata and Kapalika
4. Sankhya and Yoga

54. The national motto of India, 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from

1. Katha Upanishad
2. Chandogya Upanishad
3. Aitareya Upanishad
4. Mundaka Upanishad

83. With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements:

1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.
2. It is a centuries‐old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.
3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

84. Chaitra 1 of the national calendar based on the Saka Era corresponds to which one of the following dates of the Gregorian calendar in a normal year of 365 days?

1. 22 March (or 21 March)
2. 15 May (or 16 May)
3. 31 March (or 30 March)
4. 21 April (20 April)

85. With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs:

Famous work of sculpture site

1. 1. A grand of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana with

numerous

: Ajanta

celesal musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below
2. 2. A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of : Mount Abu
Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock
3. 3."Arjuna's Penance”/“Descent of Ganga"

sculpted on the

: Mamallapuram

surface of huge boulders

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

87. With reference to India's culture and tradition, what is 'Kalaripayattuf‐'

1. It is an ancient Bhakti out of Shaivism still prevalent in some parts of South India
2. It is an ancient style bronze and brasswork still found in southern part of Commercial area
3. It is an ancient form of dance‐drama and a living tradition in the northern part of Malabar
4. It is an ancient martial art and a living tradition in some parts of South India

88. Consider the following pairs :

1. Garba : Gujarat
2. Mohiniattam : Odisha
3. Yakshagana : Karnataka

Which of the pairs given above is/ are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

89. With reference to Buddhist history, tradition and culture in India, consider the following pairs :

Famous shrine	Location

1. Tabo monastery and temple complex

: Spiti Valley

2. Lhotsava Lhakhang temple, Nako

: Zanskar Valley

3. Alchi temple complex

: Ladakh

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. l and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

90. Consider the following statements:

1. 'Bijak' is a composition of the teachings of Saint Dadu Dayal.
2. The Philosophy of Pushti Marg was propounded by Madhvacharya.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

91. A community of people called Manganiyars is well~known for their

1. martial arts in North‐East India
2. musical tradition in North‐West India
3. classical vocal music in South India
4. pietra dura tradition in Central India

93. Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was

1. the mosque for the use of Royal Family
2. Akbar's private prayer chamber
3. the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions
4. the room in which the nobles belonging to different religions gathered to discuss religious affairs

March Overview

Kakrapur Nuclear mishap

India’s atomic energy regulatory body, AERB, has classified recent nuclear reactor leak at the Kakrapur atomic power station (KAPS) as a Level-1, or the lowest in seven-rung classification scheme internationally used to rate the severity of nuclear mishaps.

Background:

A power generation unit at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station was recently shut down after leakage of heavy water. The power station is located in Gujarat. The power station has two units of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).

How the leak was measured?

It was measured on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event (INES) scale. INES is developed by the International Atomic Energy Authority.

Various levels:

• Level 1 is treated as an anomaly in the plant.
• Levels 1-3 are termed ‘incidents’.
• Levels 4-7 are termed as ‘accident.’

By comparison, the nuclear accidents in Fukushima, Japan in 2011 and Chernobyl, Russia in 1986 were Level 7 incidents.

About AERB:

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) was constituted on November 15, 1983 by the President of India by exercising the powers conferred by Section 27 of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act.

• The regulatory authority of AERB is derived from the rules and notifications promulgated under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.
• The headquarters is in Mumbai.

Fiber Grid

Andhra Pradesh government has launched AP Fiber Grid project. In this regard, the government has signed a MoU with Cisco as technical partner for the project.

About the Project:

The project aims to set up State-wide high-speed optical fibre infrastructure leveraging the existing assets of the electricity transmission/distribution companies such as electric poles and sub-stations to provide last mile connectivity to 1.3 crore households.

• Under the project, Cisco will complete aerial cable connectivity in North Andhra by April-end and across the entire State by July-end.
• The total cost for aerial cables to provide internet, telephone and 100 free-to-air channels is Rs.330 crore.
• In the second phase, underground cable network will be laid. Various software and contents like information on education and agriculture would be provided on the TV monitor to all households.
• AP State FiberNet Ltd, the nodal agency which is implementing the project, will provide 15 Mbps connection to households at Rs.149 and to 100 Mbps to offices at Rs.999 per month by involving local cable operators.

Solar for Refrigerator and air conditioner

A Chennai-based company has showed that solar power can be used to power air conditioner and refrigerator.

• This has been made possible by the use of thin film solar panels. The company has replaced the conventional silicon crystalline panels with thin film solar panels.
• Though efficiency of thin film panel is the same as silicon panel at 25 degree C, theenergy yield of thin film is higher than silicon panel. This is because power rating is done at 25 degree C. In India, the outside temperature far exceeds 25 degree C, especially during summer. And for every 1 degree C increase in temperature, the loss in power rating is 0.5% in the case of silicon panels; it is only 0.25% with thin films. So 5% more energy output is achieved by thin film panels.
• Another advantage with the thin film panel is that unlike silicon panels where power production gets completely cut off even if a small part of the panel is covered by shade, only that part of the thin film panel that is not exposed to sunlight stops producing power.

Detailed gravity map gives best view yet of Mars

Scientists have created the most detailed map of Mars’ gravity to date using data from three NASA spacecraft.

• The map was derived using data collected by NASA’s Deep Space Network from three spacecraft in orbit around Mars: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey (ODY), and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

What has been found out?

Using this data, scientists have found out that Mars has a liquid outer core of molten rock.

Benefits of Gravity Map:

• Provides a glimpse into the hidden interior of the red planet.
• It will be helpful for future Mars exploration because better knowledge of the planet’s gravity anomalies helps mission controllers insert spacecraft more precisely into orbit.
• The improved resolution of the gravity map suggests a new explanation for how some features formed across the boundary that divides the relatively smooth northern lowlands from heavily cratered southern highlands.

British troops test ‘invisibility cloak’

British troops recently tested a Harry Potter-style “invisibility cloak”. This cloak allows them to hide from the enemy.

• The cloak is known as “Vatec” and allows soldiers to hide even from infrared and heat-searching devices.

Background:

This cloak attempts to replicate the special ability of cephalopods such as the octopus and squid to blend in with the environment to evade their predators. These creatures’ skin has pigment-rich cells called chromatophores that change colour in response to external factors such as the presence of a predator. Researchers have developed a process that mimics this ability with a technology known as visual appearance modulation.

How it operates?

Using a technology known as visual appearance modulation, the material they developed has one side that contains tiny light-sensitive cells that are sensitive to the colours of the environment. Once colours are detected, electrical signals trigger the top layer to imitate those colours using heat-sensitive dyes, a process that takes place in as fast as two to three seconds.

The cloak has few advantages:

• The flexible fabric has a crinkly texture so that even when it is laid out flat it has some depth, i.e. a multi-level aspect.
• The material can be formed into many different complex shapes, and keep those shapes – mimicking all types of man-made or natural terrains.

Cabinet approves procurement of launch services for GSAT-11

The union cabinet has given its approval for the procurement of launch services and realisation of ground segment for GSAT-11 spacecraft at a cost of Rs.1,117 crore. GSAT-11 will be ready for launch by the end of 2016.

• The ground segment is being realised to address the rural communication requirements.
• The ground segment of GSAT-11 will also enable the utilisation of a small portion of the bandwidth for societal services apart from providing in-orbit testing support.
• It will also provide a high throughput capacity of about 10 Gbps to render broadband connectivity, especially in rural areas.

About GSAT-11:

• In 2009, Government of India had approved the development of GSAT-11, which is touted to be one of the largest Indian communication satellite. GSAT-11 has a mission life of about 15 years.
• GSAT-11 is a four-tonne geostationary communications satellite, which has a mission life of about 15 years.
• The GSAT-11 will not only link all the towns and villages in this country with quality high-speed Wi-Fi service, it will also integrate internet and television services.
• The satellite is currently under development at Department of Space and ISRO facilities.

Highest peak on Saturn

Scientists working on NASA’s Cassini mission have identified the highest point on Saturn’s largest moon Titan.

• Titan’s highest peak is 10, 948 feet high. It is found within a trio of mountainous ridges called the Mithrim Montes.

About Cassini Mission:

Cassini–Huygens is an unmanned spacecraft sent to the planet Saturn. Cassini is thefourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter orbit.

• Its design includes a Saturn orbiter and a lander for the moon Titan. The lander, called Huygens, landed on Titan in 2005. The spacecraft was launched on October 15, 1997. This was the first landing ever accomplished in the outer Solar System.

Objectives:

• Determine the three-dimensional structure and dynamic behavior of the rings of Saturn.
• Determine the composition of the satellite surfaces and the geological history of each object.
• Determine the nature and origin of the dark material on Iapetus’s leading hemisphere.
• Measure the three-dimensional structure and dynamic behavior of the magnetosphere.
• Study the dynamic behavior of Saturn’s atmosphere at cloud level.
• Study the time variability of Titan’s clouds and hazes.
• Characterize Titan’s surface on a regional scale.

Rotavirus vaccine launched under immunization drive

Union health ministry has launched the rotavirus vaccine-Rotavac- as part of its universal immunisation programme to prevent diarrhoeal deaths due to the virus which claims lives of nearly one lakh children every year.

Key facts:

• The vaccine has been developed indigenously under a public-private partnership by the ministries of science and technology and health and family welfare.
• The vaccine will be initially introduced in four states – Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha. Its coverage will be expanded to the entire country in a phased manner.
• An estimated 8.53 lakh children under the age of one will be administered the vaccine annually at 6, 10 and 14 weeks.

Significance of this vaccine:

• Adding this life-saving vaccine to Universal immunisation programme will not only improve the health of children but also reduce hospitalisation and other conditions associated with diarrhoea due to rotavirus such as malnutrition and delayed physical and mental development among children. Besides, reduced hospitalisation eases the economic burden on the family and the health cost burden on the country.
• While the vaccine was already available in open market, the local manufacturing and free distribution under the centrally-sponsored immunisation programme is expected to further bring down prices.

The Rotavac is in addition to three new vaccines that have been introduced in India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) including Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Measles, Rubella (MR) vaccine, and Adult Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine. With these new vaccines, India’s UIP will provide free vaccines against 12 life threatening diseases, to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world.

About Rotavirus:

Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrhoea and death among children less than five years of age. It is responsible for around 10% of total child mortality every year. In 2014, nearly 80,000 children died due to to rotavirus, whereas about 9 lakh were hospitalised due to episodes of severe diarrhoea.

Rotavirus-Signs and Symptoms:

• Kids with a rotavirus infection have fever, nausea, and vomiting, often followed by abdominal cramps and frequent, watery diarrhea.
• Kids may also have a cough and runny nose.
• Sometimes the diarrhea that accompanies a rotavirus infection is so severe that it can quickly lead to dehydration.

As with all viruses, though, some rotavirus infections cause few or no symptoms, especially in adults.

Transmission:

Rotavirus is transmitted by the faecal-oral route, via contact with contaminated hands, surfaces and objects, and possibly by the respiratory route. Viral diarrhea is highly contagious.

Telecom panel clears entry of virtual operators

In order to allow telecom service providers to improve utilisation of their networks, the Telecom Commission has cleared a proposal to allow licensing of virtual network operators (VNOs). These VNOs, after getting a licence for operations, will be able to buy minutes and bytes to offer voice and data services, respectively.

Who is a VNO?

A virtual network operator is akin to a retailer selling products and services of various companies under one roof, and a customer has to pay a single bill for all items purchased.

• Such an operator will primarily provide various services to end consumers by using the underlying network of a network service operator.

Key facts:

• VNOs do not have spectrum of their own for access service, but can provide access services to its own customers through an agreement with the licensed access provider. A VNO leases bandwidth from various telecom operators to provide voice and data services to customers.
• They cannot participate in spectrum auction for access services in their service areas, as they cannot have their own spectrum.
• VNO will be able to invest in setting up mobile towers and other elements in network required for providing services. However, it will not be able to sign deal directly to interconnect infrastructure laid by it with other telecom operator.
• VNO will be able to integrate service and offer it to customer as it wants. There will be no limit on integration and offering of services from licence or government that will be available shortly.
• In case a VNO has partnered with multiple service providers, then it can offer voice call service of one and data service of other player.

Significance of this move:

• The VNO, after obtaining licence from the government for its operations, can function under its own brand offering a plethora of services such as mobile telephony, broadband, wireless hotspots, etc at the last mile and in areas where stressed balance sheets of large telecom companies do not allow them to invest for rolling out infrastructure.
• This would also allow telecom companies to leverage network and spectrum investment made by them, as this move will allow the virtual network operators to invest in setting up almost 70% to 80% of the equipment required to offer communication services. And hence, VNOs would contribute to the efficient use of existing telecommunication infrastructure.
• VNOs may also offer some relief to telecom PSUs, BSNL and MTNL, which have already adopted a revenue-sharing model focusing on reducing capital expenditure.

PHAROS fire control radar

Thales and BEL-Thales Systems Limited (BTSL), the joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Thales, have signed a partnership agreement for the joint development of the PHAROS fire control radar.

Details:

• This strategic co-operation partnership agreement will allow Thales and BTSL to jointly develop PHAROS, a fire control radar for both gun and missile systems.
• This joint development will strengthen the co-operation of Thales and BTSL in the field of innovative technologies. The responsibility of overall system design will be borne by Thales.
• BTSL will develop the mechanical design and radar processing modifications while Thales will be responsible for the design and production of the radar antenna. BTSL will carry out its share of the development work in Bengaluru.
• This co-development agreement between Thales and BTSL is in line with the ‘Make in India’ vision of the Government of India.
• The jointly developed PHAROS system will cater to both domestic Indian and international market requirements.

PHAROS:

PHAROS is an all-weather multi-target tracking radar that can be fitted on guns and missiles.

• PHAROS provides defence against small, fast moving and highly manoeuvrable air and surface targets that may also be encountered in littoral missions.
• The multiple target tracker is capable of simultaneously controlling — in all weather conditions — the engagement of these targets with guided ammunition.

New Details About the Milky Way

Scientists have created a virtual Earth-space telescope system with the highest resolution of any astronomical observation ever made.

About the telescope:

Researchers created this telescope by combining the Russian RadioAstron satellite with the ground-based telescopes. The RadioAstron satellite was combined with the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, The Very Large Array in New Mexico, the Effelsberg Telescope in Germany, and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This combined system produces a virtual radio telescope more than 100,000 miles across.

What has been found out?

With this, scientists have unveiled an unusually hot quasar jet in the Milky Way.

• Scientists have pointed out these quasar jets at a quasar called 3C 273, more than 2 billion light-years from Earth.
• Quasars like 3C 273 propel huge jets of material outward at speeds nearly that of light. These powerful jets emit radio waves. The emission was about 100 billion degrees.
• The observations also showed, for the first time, substructure caused by scattering of the radio waves by the tenuous interstellar material in our own Milky Way Galaxy.

What are Quasars?

Quasars are supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies. Quasars, also called quasi-stellar radio sources, are the most energetic and distant members of a class of objects called active galactic nuclei (AGN).

• Their spectra contain very broad emission lines, unlike any known from stars, hence the name “quasi-stellar.” Their luminosity can be 100 times greater than that of the Milky Way.
• Quasars are believed to be powered by accretion of material into supermassive black holes in the nuclei of distant galaxies, making these luminous versions of the general class of objects known as active galaxies.
• Quasars also emit visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays.

Skin bank

Karnataka recently got its first skin bank, the sixth in the country. It was inaugurated at the State-run Victoria Hospital.

• Doctors hope that the skin bank may help save the lives of countless burn victims, as harvested skin is the best form of “biological dressing” available today.
• Although artificial skin is available, it is prohibitively expensive. The government has agreed to fund all skin grafts done at the skin bank. A nominal charge may be executed.

Working of the skin bank:

• Like any other organ donation, skin donation needs to be pledged by a living person or needs to be offered for donation by the family soon after death.
• The skin is harvested within 6 hours of death either at hospital or home. The harvesting is done from hidden areas such as the back and the thigh with no bleeding or deformity to the body. The skin donation does not hamper the rituals of last rites.
• The process is fairly simple and takes less than 45 minutes. The donor could be anyone above 16 years of age.
• The donor should not have skin disease or skin cancer and should be negative for HIV and Hepatitis C.
• No blood group matching is required.
• The harvested skin is processed and stored as per international protocol in the skin bank ready for dispensing and safe use in burns care as the best biological dressing. This dressing not only saves the life but also relieves the pain, reduces infection increasing chances of survival significantly, especially when the burn area exceeds 40%.

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