ISRO to launch earth observation satellite on Nov 7

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would launch its latest earth observation satellite EOS-01 and nine international customer satellites onboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C49) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on November 7.

• This is the first launch by ISRO since the COVID-19 induced lockdown came into force in March. 

• EOS-01 is intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support.

• The customer satellites are being launched under commercial agreement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

• This will be the 51st mission of ISRO’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

***************

India extends $1 billion Line of Credit to Central Asian countries

• India extended $1 billion Line of Credit for priority developmental projects in central Asian countries while vowing to further expand cooperation with the resource-rich region including confronting the common challenges of terrorism and extremism.

• The announcement on the quantum of the financial assistance was made by India during the second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue which also discussed a plethora of key issues as well as ways to expand cooperation between the two sides.

• The virtual meeting was chaired by Minister of External Affairs S.Jaishankar and it was attended by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. While the Kyrgyz Republic was represented by its first deputy foreign minister, the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan too attended it as a special invitee.

• The ministers assessed the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue held on January 13, 2019 in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) in establishing a platform for strengthening cooperation between India and the Central Asian countries in political, security, economic and commercial, development partnership, humanitarian and cultural spheres as well as exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and enhancing cooperation under the framework of UN and other multilateral fora. 

• The ministers called for the settlement of the Afghan conflict on the principle of Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process.

• They also emphasised the importance of connectivity for increasing trade and commerce as well as people-to-people contacts between India and the Central Asian countries.

***************

Kerala becomes first state to fix floor price for vegetables

• Kerala has become the first state to fix the floor price for 16 varieties of vegetables, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said. The scheme would come into effect from November 1.

• The floor price would be 20 per cent above the production cost of the vegetables and even if the market price went below this, the produce would be procured at the floor price from farmers. The vegetables would be graded as per the quality and the floor price fixed accordingly.

• The CM said 16 varieties of vegetables would be covered in the first phase and there is a provision to revise the floor price on a regular basis.

• Local Self Government (LSG) bodies would play an important role in this scheme as they would be coordinating procurement and distribution of vegetables. The scheme would benefit a farmer with a maximum of 15 acres of vegetable cultivation per season. They can register on the agriculture departments registration portal from November 1.

• The scheme also envisages setting up the entire supply chain process like cold storage facilities and refrigerated vehicles for transporting the produce.

***************

Chhattisgarh govt passes Bill to counter Centre’s farm laws

• Amid the opposition to the Centre’s new farm laws, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh introduced Chhattisgarh Krishi Upaj Mandi (Amendment) Bill, 2020, seeking to protect farmers from fluctuating market prices, which was passed in the state Assembly.

• A special session was convened amid apprehensions among farmers across the country that the Centre’s new laws would harm them, including a fear that their land and produce could be handed over to corporates, he said.

• State agriculture minister Ravindra Choubey said the amendments were made in the state’s Mandi Act to help farmers get better prices for their produce, adding the Bill did not violate any central laws.

• The Bill allows the state government to establish deemed mandis or declare private markets as deemed mandis for regulation of marketing of notified agricultural produce.

• Last week, the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution rejecting the Centre’s new farm laws and passed four Bills it said will counter the contentious legislation enacted by Parliament.

***************

CSIR-CDRI scientist wins Dr.Tulsi Das Chugh Award

• The Orations & Awards Committee of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) has selected CSIR-CDRI scientist Dr.Satish Mishra for Dr.Tulsi Das Chugh Award in recognition of his research work on Malaria parasite’s life cycle, which is a complex process involving two hosts and three invasive stages. 

• Dr.Tulsi Das Chugh Award was instituted in 2018 for the best published work in the field of infectious diseases. The award includes a scroll, a commemorative medal and cash incentive.

National Academy of Medical Sciences

National Academy of Medical Sciences was established in 1961 as a registered society namely, the ‘Indian Academy of Medical Sciences’ with the objective of promotion of knowledge of Medical Sciences in India. 

It was renamed as National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) in 1976. 

The Academy has been recognised as a nodal agency for Continuing Medical Education for medical and allied health professionals and is advising the government in several matters of National Health Policy and planning.

Since its establishment, the Academy has recognised the outstanding achievements of Indian scientists in the field of medicine and allied sciences and conferred Fellowships and Memberships on the meritorious biomedical and health scientists.

The Academy also contributes towards Human Resource Development under Scientific Exchange Programme by selecting and sending junior scientists to centres of excellence for training in advanced methods and techniques. 

***************

Education minister inaugurates DST-IIEST Solar PV Hub

• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually inaugurated the DST-IIEST Solar PV Hub at IIEST, Shibpur. 

• The DST-IIEST Solar PV Hub has been established at IIEST through a R&D grant from the department of science and technology (DST) under the aegis of Centre of Excellence for Green Energy and Sensor System at IIEST, Shibpur. 

• The minister said that, in 2018, to encourage and support the cutting edge research by IIEST, Shibpur in the field of Solar Energy and Solar Cells, the DST has endowed the Institute with new Grants to create a central Hub with the name of ‘DST-IIEST Solar PV Hub’, which will have world class research facilities and act as the central node for research and developments, and dissemination of knowledge in the field of solar energy, solar photovoltaics, including fabrication, characterisation and testing of solar cells, solar PV Modules and also Solar PV systems, for the entire eastern and northeast region.

• The minister highlighted that a number of industries and research organisations in eastern and northeast regions of India which are engaged in solar energy activities are likely to be greatly benefitted from this research unit. 

• The hub will help in aligning the national as well as local industries, research institutes, and startups with the ‘Make in India Mission’ towards a smooth transition from fossil fuel energy to solar energy scenario.

Newsmaker

Former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel passed away in Ahmedabad. He was 92. The BJP veteran was the state chief minister in 1995 and again during 1998-2001. Narendra Modi had succeeded him as Gujarat CM. Patel was a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly six times. He quit the BJP in 2012 and floated the Gujarat Parivartan Party, which merged with the BJP in 2014.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store