Current Affairs 31st July 2017

Current Affairs 31st July 2017 - Important Points

• Indian rocket launched - World's smallest spacecraft Sprites
• Four Arab States boycotting Qatar are - Ready for dialogue with Qatar
• Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 launched by - Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
• Natural gas from flammable ice produces by - China
• India’s first unmanned tank Muntra launched on - 29th July 2017
• Pilot project to encourage use of bicycle to be launched by - Maharashtra government

Current Affairs 31st July 2017 - Details

Indian rocket launched - World's smallest spacecraft Sprites

The world's smallest spacecraft were successfully launched into low-Earth orbit by Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on 23rd June 2017. These tiny satellites are just 3.5cm x 3.5cm called as Sprites and carry radios, computers and sensors, also each device is powered by sunlight and weighs just four grams only.

The researchers constructed Sprites at Cornell University and transported into space as secondary payloads by the two larger German satellites Venta and Max Valier.  Scientists stated that, the communications received from the mission show that the Sprite system is performing as designed.  The designing of this mission is done to test how well the Sprites' electronics perform in orbit.

Though Sprites have previously been carried to the International Space Station, but this is the first time that it was possible to launch such a lightweight satellite into space and communicate with it.

The Sprite Spacecraft was developed under the Breakthrough Starshot program and is the creation of Zac Manchester, whose 2011 Kickstarter campaign 'KickSat' raised the first funds to develop the concept.

 More about Breakthrough Starshot

• It is a comprehensive program under Breakthrough Initiatives to launch and develop practical interstellar space missions.
• Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking announced that, it is a USD 100 million program aiming to demonstrate proof of concept for light-propelled spacecraft that could fly at 20 percent of light speed.
• It's also aiming to send one-gram chips to star systems beyond the solar system in search of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Four Arab States boycotting Qatar are - Ready for dialogue with Qatar

The four Arab nations boycotting Qatar have announced their willingness to start a dialogue with the country, that can bring the hope of some sort of resolution to the gulf crisis.
The foreign ministers of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt have expressed readiness to engage in a dialogue with Doha if it agrees to some of their demands one among them includes showing genuine willingness to stop funding terrorism.

Bahrain’s foreign minister revealed the same on 30th July 2017, after a two-meet with his counterparts with other three nations.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain had previously issued a list of 13 demands to Qatar to lift sanctions placed on it by them. The demands were, however Arab state rejected those demands with the explanation that they were neither reasonable nor actionable.

Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 launched by - Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minority Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs launched the Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 in Mumbai, Maharashtra on 29th July 2017.
While launching the Phase-2, Naqvi said that Parsi community has huge contribution in building the nation and Parsi community has been a “role model” for other communities for its traditions and culture.
More about Jiyo Parsi scheme

• This scheme is focusing to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions.
• It also aims to stabilize their population and increase the population of Parsi community in India.
  The scheme has two components: Medical Assistance and Counseling.
• The Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-1 was started back in 2013 to sustain the declining trend of population of the Parsi community and reverse it to bring their population above the threshold level.
• The Phase-1 was a huge success as 101 babies were born in Parsi community through Jiyo Parsi scheme.
• The Parzor Foundation served as an important link between the Union Government and the Parsi community in success of Jiyo Parsi scheme. Along with that
• The Bombay Parsi Punchayet, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Federation of Zoroastrian Anjumans of India have also played a key role in this regard.

Natural gas from flammable ice produces by - China

China produced natural gas from ‘flammable ice’, also called as methane hydrate successfully in an experimental project conducted in the South China Sea. A drilling platform was deployed off the coast of the south-eastern Chinese city of Zhuhai for 60 days as a part of the experiment. It produced around 309,000 cubic meters of natural gas, which is a record extraction volume from gas hydrate.
The China's ministry stated that the country has achieved technological,theoretical, engineering and equipment innovations after around 20 years of endless efforts.

More about Flammable Ice

• It is a compound containing a large amount of methane trapped within a crystal structure of water forming a solid structure similar to ice.
• It is also highly flammable and energy-intensive fuel as one cubic meter of this compound can release up to about 160 cubic meters of gas.
• It can also break down into water and methane after the raise in temperature or decline in pressure.
• It is expected to be a great source of energy that could cater to future energy needs.

India’s first unmanned tank Muntra launched on - 29th July 2017

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) launched India's first unmanned tank Muntra (Mission UNmanned TRAcked) on 29th July 2017 that was being developed in Chennai.

Mahajan field firing range in Rajasthan is a place where the tank was tested and validated under dusty desert conditions where temperatures touched was approximately 52 degree celcius. The tanks will be facilitating Indian Army to conduct unmanned surveillance missions.

More about Muntra (Mission UNmanned TRAcked)

• It was tested and developed for the Indian Army by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in Avadi.
• Muntra has three variants- Muntra-N for reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats, Muntra-S for unmanned surveillance and Muntra-M for mine detection.
• Surveillance radar, an integrated camera along with laser range finder equipped in this tank can be used to spy a 15km away from the ground target.

Pilot project to encourage use of bicycle to be launched by - Maharashtra government

The Maharashtra state government is planning to create cycle tracks through 'streets with cycle track' project in order to encourage the use of bicycles which will eventually help to ease congestion and reduce air pollution.
The pilot project will be at first implemented in 10 cities across the state including Pune, Latur, Jalgaon, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Amaravati, Solapur, Kolhapur and Chandrapur. In the govt. resolution it was stated that people do not use cycles due to the absence of dedicated lanes. It further added that in several industrial towns, employees travel a distance of seven to eight kilometers to work
and setting up of dedicated tracks would be encouraging them to cycle to work.
Important Highlights

• A four members committee including the Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Secretary PWD (Roads), and two members of NGO Mission Olympics will be studying the project and providing technical inputs.
• The committee will be responsible to choose the roads where the project would be implemented and suggest modifications to the road structure if needed.
• The committee will also have the power to seek the organizations help that promote cycling.
• The state government has decided to start the initiative with smaller cities instead of congested ones like Thane and Mumbai.