TN to computerise its district industries centres

The DICs will have modern IT enabled infrastructure to help entrepreneurs access various services online

The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is planning to provide modern information technology (IT) enabled communication facilities to district industries centres (DICs) in all the 32 districts, as part of its move to develop industries in the state.

The state will also take up appropriate civil works in various district headquarters to revamp the DICs, which are expected to play a pro-active role for the benefit of the entrepreneurs.

The state-owned Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO), a promoter of Small Scale Industries in the state, has initiative efforts to allow entrepreneurs file their applications for allotment of plots online.

The state government is working with National Informatics Centre (NIC) to develop a software that will enable entrepreneurs submit their applications seeking allotment of plots online, according to an official.

Currently, users can only download application forms for allotting lands from SIDCO’s website

Talk to a Teacher project

The training programme for 10,000 teachers was Human Resource Development at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.

Under the 'Talk to a Teacher' project of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT) of his ministry, training for 10,000 engineering college teachers from across the country is conducted by leveraging broadband network and ICT tools.

The programme is being conducted through 168 remote centres across India. The lectures are delivered from IIT Bombay by professors of the institute and IIT Madras.

Through the software A-VIEW, audio-video connectivity is provided between all the centres and IIT Bombay. The course consists of lectures, live interactions and lab sessions.

"This method of synchronous education has been developed at IIT Bombay, under the leadership of D.B. Phatak. This method of education allows participation of a large number of women teachers, who normally are unable to join contact programmes at distant locations, owing to family commitments," an IIT official said.

NEW HORIZONS

New Horizons is the first scientific investigation to obtain a close look at Pluto and its moons. The mission will help us understand the icy worlds at the edge of our solar system, three billion miles from Earth, with the first detailed images ever obtained. Scientists hope to find answers to basic questions about the surface properties, geology, interior makeup and atmospheres on these bodies, the first ice dwarf planet and its moons to be visited by a spacecraft. The mission will then visit one or more Kuiper Belt Objects beyond Pluto.

The science objectives are to:

• Map the surface composition of Pluto and Charon

• Characterize the geology and morphology of Pluto and Charon

• Characterize the neutral atmosphere of Pluto and its escape rate

• Search for an atmosphere around Charon

• Map surface temperatures on Pluto and Charon

• Search for rings and additional satellites around Pluto

• Conduct similar investigations of one or more Kuiper Belt Objects

Details

New Horizons launched on January 19, 2006, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, aboard an Atlas V-551 rocket. The fastest spacecraft trip ever to the outer solar system, it reached the orbit of Earth's Moon in fewer than nine hours.

In February-March 2007 the probe performed a close flyby of Jupiter to get a gravitational boost enroute to Pluto, shortening its cruise time by about three years. The instruments were turned on and returned exciting Jupiter science to Earth, including images of a 200-mile-high plume from the active Tvashtar volcano on the moon Io.

As New Horizons continues on it long interplanetary cruise, the team on Earth conducts annual spacecraft and instrument checkouts, trajectory correction maneuvers, instrument calibrations, and Pluto encounter rehearsals, to make the most of their fast flyby.

The spacecraft will begin collecting data on the Pluto-Charon system about three months and 65 million miles before the closest approach on July 15, 2015. New Horizons will get as close as about 6,000 miles from Pluto and about 17,000 miles from Charon.

 

Why Pluto?

Our solar system has three classes of planets: the rocky worlds (Earth, Venus, Mercury and Mars); the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune); and the ice dwarfs of the Kuiper Belt which have solid surfaces but a significant portion of their mass is icy material. There are far more ice dwarf planets than rocky and gas giant worlds combined - yet no spacecraft has visited one so far.

A special panel of the National Academy of Sciences was formed in 2001 to advise NASA on a planetary science strategy for the next 10 years. It ranked the exploration of Kuiper Belt Objects, including Pluto, as its highest scientific priority to complete our knowledge of planetary types. As the first mission to investigate this new class of planetary bodies, New Horizons seeks to fill this important gap and round out our knowledge of the planets in our solar system.

It is also an historic mission for the United States, which has been the first nation to reach every planet from Mercury to Neptune with a space probe. The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt is the first NASA launch to an ice dwarf planet. It will provide comparisons with dwarf planet Ceres which orbits in the main asteroid belt and will be visited by the Dawn spacecraft in 2015.

Juno Spacecraft

Juno will improve our understanding of the solar system’s beginnings by revealing the origin and evolution of Jupiter.

Specifically, Juno will…

Determine how much water is in Jupiter’s atmosphere, which helps determine which planet formation theory is correct (or if new theories are needed)

Look deep into Jupiter’s atmosphere to measure composition, temperature, cloud motions and other properties

Map Jupiter’s magnetic and gravity fields, revealing the planet’s deep structure

Explore and study Jupiter’s magnetosphere near the planet’s poles, especi ally the auroras – Jupiter’s northern and southern lights – providing new insights about how the planet’s enormous magnetic force field affects its atmosphere.

The Giant Planet Story is the Story of the Solar System

Juno’s principal goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. Underneath its dense cloud cover, Jupiter safeguards secrets to the fundamental processes and conditions that governed our solar system during its formation. As our primary example of a giant planet, Jupiter can also provide critical knowledge for understanding the planetary systems being discovered around other stars.

With its suite of science instruments, Juno will investigate the existence of a solid planetary core, map Jupiter's intense magnetic field, measure the amount of water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere, and observe the planet's auroras.

Juno will let us take a giant step forward in our understanding of how giant planets form and the role these titans played in putting together the rest

Juno Headed to Jupiter!

An Atlas V rocket lofted the Juno spacecraft toward Jupiter from Space Launch Complex-41. The 4-ton Juno spacecraft will take five years to reach Jupiter on a mission to study its structure and decipher its history. Liftoff occurred at 12:25 p.m

Spacecraft & Instruments

The Juno spacecraft launched aboard an Atlas V-551 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Aug. 5, 2011, and will reach Jupiter in July 2016. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter 32 times, skimming to within 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) above the planet's cloud tops, for approximately one year.

Juno uses a spinning solar-powered spacecraft in a highly elliptical polar orbit that avoids most of Jupiter's high radiation regions. The designs of the individual instruments are straightforward and the mission does not require the development of any new technologies. 

 

Kolkata solar physicist wins prestigious US prize

Dibyendu Nandi of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata has been awarded the prestigious Karen Harvey Prize for 2012 by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The first scientist from the Asia Pacific to get the prize, Nandy was awarded for his "advances in the use of kinematic dynamo models to elucidate the typical and atypical solar cycle, and for his outstanding leadership within the solar physics and space climate communities."

The prize is in "recognition for a significant contribution to the study of the sun, early in a person's professional career."

"The main thrust of this discovery is that the sun's memory regarding its past activity is very short. This implies that very long term forecasting of solar activity and space weather is ruled out,

He is a part of ISRO's Aditya's mission to the sun which is slated for lift off later this year or in 2013.

Established in May 2002, the Karen Harvey Prize honours a solar physicist who was president of the Solar Physics Research Corporation and treasurer of the solar physics division.

AICTE to build one research park in each state

All India Council for Technical Education will build research parks, one in each state, to promote research across industries.

The council would provide Rs 1 crore as seed money, while industry would have to provide a matching grant for the parks, to be set up on premises of an Institution, at least in a 3,000 square foot area,

AICTE wanted such parks in every state, and the industry can form a cluster and do extensive research on their needs with the assistance of the selected institutions

National Foundation for Corporate Governance

Corporate governance is maximizing the shareholder value in a corporation while ensuring fairness to all stakeholders, customers, employees, investors, vendors, the government and the society-at-large. Corporate governance is about transparency and raising the trust and confidence of stakeholders in the way the company is run. It is about owners and the managers operating as the trustees on behalf of every shareholder - large or small."

With the goal of promoting better corporate governance practices in India, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, on 1st October 2003 set up National Foundation for Corporate Governance (NFCG) in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). In the year 2010, stakeholders in NFCG has been expanded with the inclusion of ICWAI and the National Stock Exchange.

Vision

Be A Catalyst In Making India The Best In Corporate Governance Practices.

Mission

To foster a culture for promoting good governance, voluntary compliance and facilitate effective participation of different stakeholders;

To create a framework of best practices, structure, processes and ethics;

To make significant difference to Indian Corporate Sector by raising the standard of corporate governance in India towards achieving stability and growth.

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

IICA has been established by the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs for capacity building and training in various subjects and matters relevant to corporate regulation and governance such as corporate and competition law, accounting and auditing issues, compliance management, corporate governance, business sustainability through environmental sensitivity and social responsibility, e-Governance and enforcement etc.

IICA Society

IICA was registered as a Society on 12.09.2008 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 to establish, manage, maintain and run the IICA. The IICA Society is headed by the Hon’ble Minister of Corporate Affairs, who is the Ex- officio President of the IICA Society. A Board of Governors with 17 Members has been constituted comprising government officials, eminent corporate leaders, professionals, heads of prestigious national institutions and experts from different fields. The Board of Governors is chaired, ex-officio, by the Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

The Institute has been designed with an eye on the future to provide a platform for dialogue, interaction and partnership between governments, corporate, investors, civil society, professionals, academicians and other stake holders in the emerging 21st century environment which has characteristics like:

Uncertainty, accelerating pace of change and possible non- availability of long term anchors and reference points.

Sustainability and survival of the planet emerging as important factors in business decisions.

Ever increasing inter-dependence between nations, economies, societies, people and organizations.

Knowledge, technology, on-going learning, flexibility and innovation driving the business.

Substantive result oriented partnerships enable ability to establish efficient regulation and responsible business clarity.

The IICA has been setup with a flexible organizational structure with

Schools for teaching, training and capacity building in academic disciplines relevant to corporate regulation and functioning

Centers and Forums for interaction, innovation and experience sharing

A Think Tank for research, studies and policy advice to the government

Need-based expert groups, task forces and out-sourced projects

A Knowledge management system for continuous creation, collation and dissemination of knowledge and information

A network of global partnerships with government, institutions, corporate entities, academic and other institutions.

ICLS Academy

Introduction:

Corporate regulation in India is the responsibility of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs acting through regulatory bodies, special organizations and field staff spread out all over India. Staffing of this regulatory structure is done through officers taken from the cadre of Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS).

Induction Training:

The ICLS Academy, located at Manesar Campus of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), has the responsibility for conducting the induction training for the Probationary Officers (POs) belonging to the Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS). The first batch of POs of ICLS, recruited through the Common Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC, are under induction training since December, 2010 after a three months' foundational course at other academies.

Mid Career Orientation Training:

The Academy will also conduct orientation and training programmes for more than 1500 officials of ICLS and subordinate cadres currently serving across India as part of the field organization of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. These training programmes of varying duration ranging from one to six weeks will focus on specific professional knowledge and skill areas. Training courses will also be organized for other regulatory bodies and special organizations attached to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The Academy eventually plans to also offer training programmes in Corporate Law and Regulation to officials from other agencies and departments of the Central and State Governments as well as the general public.

Training Methodology:

The ICLS Academy will use the latest training methodologies coupled with high quality training material comprising self-learning modules, case studies, scenario analysis, problem solving, project development/writing, etc. It will be provided with modern, state of the art facilities for its activities and will network with other premier academic and training institutions in India and abroad in pursuance of a constant quest for excellence.

Invest India

Invest India is the country’s official agency dedicated to investment promotion and facilitation. Set up as a joint venture between FICCI (51% equity), DIPP (34% equity held by the Department of Industrial policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry) and State Governments of India (0.5% each), its mandate is to become the first reference point for the global investment community.

It provides granulated, sector-specific and state-specific information to a foreign investor, assists in expediting regulatory approvals, and offers hand-holding services.

Its mandate also includes assisting Indian investors make informed choices about investment opportunities overseas.

Invest India partners with the official investment promotion agencies of several countries (USA, UK, France, Italy, Japan, Korea and Mauritius) to enhance investment and broader bilateral economic ties. In recent months, it has forged close ties with its counterpart agencies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, and is also the nodal agency for coordinating the investment-component of a joint initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry relating to Africa.

Over the past year, it has partnered with India’s diplomatic missions abroad and the economic ministries at home to provide specialized information to market-leading companies in select sectors through video conferences (including in Brussels, Berlin, Detroit, Seoul, and Brugges). During the same period, it has also disseminated similar information to investors at events abroad, including in China, Russia, Japan, United States and South Korea, and used these platforms to engage public and private sector investors.

While assisting the SME sector remains its core focus, Invest India is also working with some large companies and sovereign wealth funds who are considering substantial investments into India in the near term. Invest India’s work is guided by the recognition that while India ranks as the third most attractive FDI destination since 2006, it needs to substantially improve its ranking on the Ease of Doing Business indices employed by the World Bank and other reputed agencies.

By the end of 2012, Invest India hopes to develop sufficient capability to render project-specific assistance and facilitate investments into priority sectors identified by the central government – including the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor – and later leverage the vast opportunity created by the offsets policy in the defence, civilian nuclear and aviation sectors to drive technology-embedded investments into India.

IAS Preparation Online

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)

The SFIO is a multi-disciplinary organization under Ministry of Corporate Affairs, consisting of experts in the field of accountancy, forensic auditing, law, information technology, investigation, company law, capital market and taxation for detecting and prosecuting or recommending for prosecution white-collar crimes/frauds. The SFIO will normally take up for investigation only such cases, which are characterized by

Complexity and having inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary ramifications ;

Substantial involvement of public interest to be judged by size, either in terms of monetary misappropriation or in terms of persons affected, and;

The possibility of investigation leading to or contributing towards a clear improvement in systems, laws or procedures. The SFIO shall investigate serious cases of fraud received from Department of company Affairs.

Director Identification Number (DIN No.)

The concept of a Director Identification Number (DIN) was introduced for the first time in India with the insertion of Section 266A to 266G of Companies Amendment Act, 2006.

The DIN is a unique identifier for an existing or a future Director containing personal information about him. The need for introducing the unique identifier arose from

The need to create a rich and authentic data base for the Directors and

To address the phenomena of Companies that raising capital from public and subsequently vanish, with their Directors became untraceable.

This DIN concept not only helps in fixing the identity of the person but also co-relates his participations in other companies, past or present. The DIN holder is required to inform the Central Government about any change in his particulars as and when such change takes place.

eXtensible Business Reporting Language(XBRL)

Introduction to XBRL

Annual reports, quarterly reports, management discussion & analysis are a few of the reports that companies need to file with the regulators / investors. Most companies manually produce these financial reports and hence are faced with issues that are typically associated with manual processes such as high risk of errors, long cycle times and most importantly the lack of a reporting standard. This problem is magnified by the fact that companies function on a global scale and are exposed to investors and regulators from various regions making a financial reporting standard for external and internal reporting a critical requirement.

These issues were addressed with the introduction of XBRL, which is short for eXtensible Business Reporting Language. This consortium powerfully connects members representing the entire financial and business reporting supply chain information that is universally open, industry-driven, and internationally endorsed. In simple terms, XBRL is an electronic information supply chain standard for moving financial and business reporting information into an interactive intelligent information format.

What is XBRL?

XBRL is an open standard for the electronic communication of business and financial data. XBRL is now widely adopted by over 400 organizations in 11 global jurisdictions, including 19 stock exchanges and 10 country-wide taxing authorities. XBRL is essentially a dictionary of “tags” that can be applied to each element in a financial statement. This tells standard software what the item represents and how it relates to other items in the report, much like giving all the facts in the report a unique barcode. In XBRL a number isn’t simply say 1,000,000. In XBRL data the same number is understood as INR 1,000,000 is the sales of Company ‘X’ for the Indian segment of particular products for a particular quarter for a particular year. In other words descriptive items such as the currency, time period etc. become a part and parcel of the number itself. This approach allows users to compare the tags of one company between periods or even to compare the tags between companies. For example, users will know that when they are comparing the revenue tags between Company A and Company B that they are in fact comparing data in the same currency and across the same period. The benefits to management and investors are obvious, as they can now electronically retrieve data very quickly and in a context that is clearly defined by the tag.

IAS Preparation Online

Why XBRL?

The advantages of XBRL data over conventional forms of data are given below:

Standard - XBRL is a standard that has been accepted and adopted the world over thus reducing inconsistencies in terminologies and data formatting.

Accuracy - XBRL provides highly accurate data as the data can be both calculated and verified.

Speed - XBRL allows much faster and real-time preparation of reports and at the same time allows efficient, accurate and relevant ways to search data

Reusable - XBRL data once entered can be reused to represent the same data in multiple ways and multiple formats.

Platform Independent - XBRL is an open standard and hence platform independent, this allows the data to be exchanged and transferred with ease.

Region Independent - XBRL allows the presentation and exchange of data in many different languages.

How does XBRL work?

An XBRL document can be viewed as a system of barcodes. These barcodes not only contain the information but also attributes that describe the information. The XBRL process can be understood better with the help of the diagram below:

The source document is the annual report of the company that is to be converted to XBRL.

The taxonomy of XBRL is in literal terms a dictionary of elements that are reported. The taxonomy provides the tags (barcodes) for all the elements appearing in the annual report.

The creation of XBRL documents involves the process of tagging the document. Tagging is the process of assigning barcodes to all the elements appearing in the annual report.

Once all the elements appearing in the annual report have been tagged the XBRL Instance document is generated and the process is complete.

The XBRL instance document contains all the facts that are reported in the annual report along with the descriptive attributes about the data that is reported. The instance document is platform independent and can be reused to represent and transfer data as per the requirements of the user.

XBRL Application Areas

Financial Reporting – XBRL is a mandate for many regulatory filing in India, US, UK and many more. XBRL enables reporting in any taxonomy like Indian GAAP, IFRS, US GAAP & UK GAAP, thus satisfying the regulatory reporting requirement of companies falling under any jurisdiction.

IFRS Conversion – XBRL data set is very amenable to be processed using business rules that can be built into the taxonomy. IFRS implementation using XBRL Standards creates an XBRL Layer on the existing legacy systems.

Business Operations - XBRL brings efficiency in Intra period reporting for internal assessments and financial modelling.

Risk Assessments – XBRL automates the process of inputting data in various models and thereby facilitates the process of determination of risk.

Investing & Lending – Helps allocating funds to diverse investment avenues and brings about efficiency in providing data to banks and other authorities.

Mergers & Acquisitions – XBRL facilitates easier exchange of information between two organizations. It is authoritative based on a jurisdictional approved taxonomy.

Economic Policy Making - Efficient way to provide data to various government Agencies, Trade associations etc.

Investor Relations – Making derived data available to the consumers of information and providing reports in XBRL through the IR portal thereby making the consumption of financial information simpler.

Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)

The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) is an international and intergovernmental institution, owned and managed by its Member States, for the generation and application of early warning information. RIMES evolved from the efforts of countries in Africa and Asia, in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, to establish a regional early warning system within a multi-hazard framework for the generation and communication of early warning information, and capacity building for preparedness and response to trans-boundary hazards. RIMES was established on 30 April 2009, and was registered with the United Nations on 1 July 2009. RIMES operates from its regional early warning center located at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani, Thailand.

Aim & Mission

Aim: RIMES provides regional early warning services and builds capacity of its Member States in the end-to-end early warning of tsunami and hydro-meteorological hazards.

Mission: Building capacity and providing actionable warning information towards forearmed, forewarned and resilient communities.

13 Member States: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Comoros, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.

18 Collaborating Countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

RIMES was registered with the United Nations under Article 102 on 1 July 2009, and has been supported since inception by UNESCAP and DANIDA.

RIMES:

Provides maximum benefit at minimum cost

RIMES addresses both high-impact, low-frequency hazards, such as tsunamis, as well as low-impact, but high-frequency hazards, such as extreme weather events, for the optimum use of its technological facilities, while giving Member States a wider range of decision-support information.

Member States financially support RIMES operations, at a cost much lower than that required for establishing individual early warning systems for high-impact, low-frequency hazards.

Meets early warning information needs of different users

RIMES integrates risk information at different time scales to meet early warning information needs of diverse users.

Engages multi-level stakeholders

RIMES provides an interface between global centers of excellence and national and local level institutions to bring the best of science and practices for enhanced performance of early warning systems

Acts as a test-bed for emerging technologies and research products

RIMES acts as a test-bed for identifying promising new and emerging technologies and research products, and pilot testing and making these operational through demonstration of tangible benefits.

RIMES Member States and Collaborating Countries

Key services

Earthquake & Tsunami Watch Provision

RIMES provides the following services to National Tsunami Warning Centers of Member States:

Seismic, sea level and deep ocean monitoring

Data exchange, processing and analysis, and archiving

provision of earthquake alerts and regional tsunami bulletins

Weather, Climate and Hydrological Research and Development

RIMES provides the following services to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services:

Generation of localized and customized:

severe weather and short-term weather information for contingency planning

medium-term weather information for logistics planning

seasonal climate outlook for longer-term resource planning and management

Analysis of risks to climate variability and change, and identification of risk management and adaptation options

Development of decision support tools

Development of new generation risk information products

Capacity Building in End-to-End Early Warning

RIMES provides the following services to national and local level institutions within each Member States' early warning frameworks:

Assistance in establishing and maintaining observation and monitoring stations of regional benefit

Training of scientists: in-country training and through secondment arrangements at the RIMES Regional Facility

Development of decision-support tools and their application. These include risk assessment, interpretation and translation of early warning information products into impact outlooks and response options.

Application of tailored risk information at different time scales in decision-making

Early warning system audits

Strengthening national early warning provider and user interface

First Rimes Ministerial RIMES Conference Inaugurated

The First Ministerial Conference on the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for Africa and Asia was inaugurated in june 2012. The meeting is being attended by Ministers/Ambassadors/ Representatives of RIMES Member States.

The important regional technical cooperation platform called RIMES focusing on building state of the art monitoring, detection, early warning of other multi-hazards.

The areas of collaboration between RIMES and the Government of India on-going through national institutions like NCMRWF, Noida and INCOIS, Hyderabad. He reiterated the continued support of Government of India in the institutional development of RIMES, and in providing resources for RIMES to meet the needs and demands of Member States.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India to expand the targeted efforts, under RIMES umbrella, towards research, education, communication, and the application of proven knowledge science and technology. Strategic investments, of human and capital in such matters, as they relate to hazards, offer the promise of producing significant reductions in the loss of life and property from natural, technological and human-induced disasters.

RIMES on up-grading the multi-hazard early warning systems of tsunami and hydro-meteorological hazards so as to enhance the technical capacity of all RIMES country partners to be fully prepared for emergency response to trans-border hazards and make the concerned communities disaster resilient.

Expertise of India in building agro-meteorological advisory services to minimize the impact of adverse weather conditions on food production.

Fishing zone advisory system for the benefit of the coastal fishermen about fish abundance locations along with local weather conditions and sea state.

The totally indigenous and environmental friendly Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) technology for conversion of sea water into potable safe drinking water.

Various satellite based multi-sensor payload based products over the data sparse regions of Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal for enhancing the quality of meteorological and oceanic services rendered to various sectors of the economy.

Providing satellite derived products for real time monitoring of adverse weather conditions.

Competition panel fine over companies 6,000 cr for cartelisation

The Competition Commission of India has found cement manufacturers in violation of the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002, which deals with anti-competitive agreements, including cartels.

The Commission has imposed penalty on 11 cement manufacturers named in the information at 0.5 times their profit for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The penalty amount so worked out amounts to over Rs 6,000 crore.

The Commission has also imposed penalty on the Cement Manufacturers Association.

The cement manufacturers on whom the penalty has been imposed are ACC, Ambuja Cements Ltd, UltraTech Cements, Grasim Cements now merged with UltraTech Cements, JK Cements, India Cements, Madras Cements, Century Cements, Binani Cements, Lafarge India and Jaypee Cements.

While imposing penalty, the Commission has considered the parallel and coordinated behaviour of cement companies on price, dispatch and supplies in the market. The Commission has found that the cement companies have not utilised the available capacity so as to reduce supplies and raise prices in times of higher demand.

The Commission has also observed that the act of these cement companies in limiting and controlling supplies in the market and determining prices through an anti-competitive agreement is not only detrimental to the cause of the consumers but also to the whole economy since cement is a crucial input in construction and infrastructure industry vital for economic development of the country.

The CMA has been asked to disengage and disassociate itself from collecting wholesale and retail prices through the member cement companies and also from circulating the details on production and dispatches of cement companies to its members.

Competition commission of india

Competition is the best means of ensuring that the ‘Common Man’ or ‘Aam Aadmi’ has access to the broadest range of goods and services at the most competitive prices. With increased competition, producers will have maximum incentive to innovate and specialize. This would result in reduced costs and wider choice to consumers. A fair competition in market is essential to achieve this objective. Our goal is to create and sustain fair competition in the economy that will provide a ‘level playing field’ to the producers and make the markets work for the welfare of the consumers.

The Competition Act

The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws. The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.

Competition Commission of India

The objectives of the Act are sought to be achieved through the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has been established by the Central Government with effect from 14th October 2003. CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.

It is the duty of the Commission to eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.                     ^{Ashok Chawla, Chairperson,}

The Commission is also required to give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.

NASA discovers ice in Moon

 

One of the things NASA has long to discover on the moon is the existence of water ice. There have been numerous scientific missions dedicated to the task of discovering ice on the moon. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is now helping scientists to confirm of the existence of water ice on the moon. The discovery was made on the floor of Shackleton crater.

Scientists believe almost a quarter of the crater, which is located on the moon’s south pole, is covered with water ice. Scientists used the LRO’s laser altimeter, which is capable of measuring depths of about 1 micron to make the discovery. According to the scientists floor of the crater was brighter than the floor of craters nearby, hinting at the presence of ice.

Shackleton crater is very large at 2 miles deep and more than 12 miles wide. The reason the crater has been studied so intently for ice deposits is that the interior of the crater is permanently dark. This is an interesting discovery that scientists will certainly continue to study.

This is an elevation map of Shackleton crater made using LRO Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. The false colors indicate height, with blue lowest and red/white highest.

First village of India to have lands records on satellite

Haryana’s Kurbanpur village of district Ambala became the 1st village of the country to put the land records of all its farmers on satellite

The technique is developed by the combined efforts of Haryana Space Application Centre, Hisar and NIC Haryana

Benefit:

Now the farmers need not go to Patwari to get copy of their land records, they can download a copy of their land records from the year 1957 to till date

The programme is a part of pilot project running in 6 villages of 6 districts of Haryana and it is expected to be implemented in the entire state.

It is being run with the cooperation of Union Ministry of Rural Development.

Haryana to replace ration cards with smart cards

In a bid to streamline Public Distribution System in the state, Haryana government has decided to replace ration card with the smart cards

All ration card holders will be issued smart cards, which would carry the photographs of family members and other details.

“Smart card preparation project has already been started in the state. Central government is assisting this project. The task of preparing smart cards to streamline PDS has been given to different institutions in the state but final cards will be made by TCS (Tata Consultancy Services),”

The project of preparing smart cards of all the persons in the entire state would be got completed by June 2013.

“Ration card was an important document even for those who do not get ration (grocery) from the subsidized shops. The beneficiaries of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY) get ration at cheaper rates under various schemes of the government but for the Above Poverty Line (APL) people it serves as a proof of residence. Now the smart cards will replace the traditional ration cards.

TCS Company, which is the authorised agency for documentation and collection of biometric finger prints of all the applicants, would assist the government in making smart cards.

New Expert Panel on Poverty Estimates

The government has set up an expert technical group headed by Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman C. Rangarajan to review the Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating poverty and overhaul the norms in keeping with the present-day prices.

The move follows all-round criticism of the Planning Commission's estimates on poverty released recently. The State-wise poverty lines and poverty ratio for 2009-10 computed by Tendulkar methodology showed that the poverty ratio in the country has come down from 37.2% in 2004-05 to 29.8% in 2009-10. As a result, the number of poor persons in the country has reduced from 40.7 crore in 2004-05 to 35.5 crore in 2009-10.

The Terms of Reference of the Expert Technical Group have been finalized as under:

1. The panel has been asked to comprehensively review the existing methodology of poverty estimation and examine whether the poverty line should be fixed solely in terms of a consumption basket or whether other criteria are also relevant. If so, it should suggest if they can be effectively combined to evolve a basis for estimation of poverty in rural and urban areas and also recommend how its estimates of poverty should be linked to eligibility and entitlements for the Central government's schemes and programmes.

2. To examine the issue of divergence between consumption estimates based on the NSSO methodology and those emerging from the National Accounts aggregates; and to suggest a methodology for updating consumption poverty lines using the new consumer price indices launched by the CSO for rural and urban areas state-wise.

3. To review alternative methods of estimation of poverty which may be in use in other countries, including their procedural aspects; and indicate whether on this basis, a particular method can be evolved for empirical estimation of poverty in India, including procedures for updating it over time and across states.

Ashok Chawla Committee

Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources, commonly known as the Ashok Chawla Committee was constituted to examine the approach to allocating natural resources such as land, coal, minerals, petroleum, natural gas, etc. The purpose was to obtain recommendations which would enhance transparency, effectiveness and sustainability in the allocation, pricing and utilization of natural resources through open, transparent and competitive mechanisms and to suggest changes in the legal, institutional and regulatory framework to implement the recommendations.

The recommendations of the Committee had been examined by the Group of Ministers on corruption headed by the Finance Minister and the GoM had accepted 69 of the 81 recommendations. 11 recommendations were to be examined further.

69 agreed recommendations would be pursued for implementation by individual Ministries in a timely manner.

Geoscience Advisory Council (GAC)

The Geoscience Advisory Council (GAC) is the highest policy planning forum to advise the Ministry of Mines and the Geological Survey of India in the matters of Earth Sciences. The Council comprises of Secretary level officials of the Govt. of India and Head of Departments of Governmental organizations and nominated experts who have long standing experience in various disciplines of Earth Sciences. The Council is expected to provide direction for framing concrete policies and appropriate road map for implementing the same.

Objective:

The foremost objectives of the GAC is to explore opportunities for long term strategic partnerships or cooperative arrangements with Central and State Ministries, Institutions, Universities and Private sector. the council also expressed exploring new areas of R&D, data management and sharing, environment, augmentation of natural resources and popularizing geosciences among the masses.

It stressed the importance of mineral resources that play a key role for economic development. The council expressed the concern about the scarcity of water which is vital for the well being of the society.

World leaders weigh stimulus vs. austerity at G-20

The Hindu : News / National : World leaders weigh stimulus vs. austerity at G-20.

#Bee'12 : Not just the winner, No.2 and No.3 are also Indian Kids... #USA #Spelling #Championship

Indian Coast Guard Opens Third Station in Andhra Pradesh

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has opened its third station in the east coast state of Andhra Pradesh in a bid to boost coast security infrastructure there and to enable better busting of maritime crimes such as smuggling and efficient search and rescue efforts for fishermen in distress.

The ICG station came up in Krishnapatnam, which is the 20th ICG station in the country. Seven more new stations are on the anvil.

This newly commissioned ICG station at Krishnapatnam would facilitate search and rescue operations towards saving lives.

The Krishnapatnam station will function under the administrative and operational control of ICG Commander (East) through Coast Guard district-6 headquarters located at Visakhapatnam.

New stations will soon come up in Mundra, Pipavav, Nizampatnam, Gopalpur, Frezergunj, Kamorta and Mayabunder.

Airborne Early Warning and Control System

An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft at long ranges and control and command the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack plane strikes. AEW&C units are also used to carry out surveillance, including over ground targets and frequently perform C2BM (command and control, battle management) functions similar to an Airport Traffic Controller given military command over other forces. Used at a high altitude, the radars on the aircraft allow the operators to distinguish between friendly and hostile aircraft hundreds of miles away.

AEW&C aircraft are used for both defensive and offensive air operations. The system is used offensively to direct fighters to their target locations, and defensively in order to counter attacks by enemy forces, both air and ground. So useful is the advantage of command and control from a high altitude,

It will look deep into our neighbouring countries and detect incoming missiles and aircraft from hundreds of kilometres away in all-weather conditions. It will also help detect troop build-up in territories around us.

The Phalcon AWACS will help India monitor the movement of aircraft and troop build-up both during war and hostile situations. The AWACS will be able to look at least 200 miles into enemy territory and give advance warning on potential enemy threat. The air defence of our country will be made much more responsive.

The AWACS is a force multiplier, which can help pick up movement of aircraft that are on the ground and also air-borne. This will mean that India would have immediate information on any kind of aircraft movement across the border, which would in turn give both the air force and the army more response time.

The AWACS is an air-borne radar with a command control system through which we can control the air defence sector.

The AWACS will help us keep a watch on our neighbours, especially Pakistan. It will keep an eye on all air fields across the border and also keep a watch on air-borne aircraft. Once an aircraft is spotted, it would give it an ID and help track its movement.

AWACS - India

With the growing might of its neighbours in terms of force-multipliers and futuristic warfare techniques, India has decided launch a comprehensive Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) programme for the armed forces. The state-run DRDO is initiating ‘AWACS-India’, a project which will entail development of two AWACS airplanes followed by four more later.

The ‘AWACS-India’ project will be carried out by DRDO and its Bangalore-based Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS). Under this ambitious project, 360-degree Active Electronically Scanned Aray (AESA) radars will be mounted on large aircraft like IL-76, Boeing or Airbus. In the age of futuristic and network-centric warfare, the AWACS can significantly boost India’s air warfare capabilities besides combating aerial threats.

At present, IAF has three Phalcon AWACS mounted on IL-76 aircraft. According to reports, Pakistan has four Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C aircraft with another four AWACS planes from China in the pipeline. As for China, it has around 20 AWACS.

Besides the launch of this current project called ‘AWACS-India’, IAF is also looking forward to the mini-AWACS project by DRDO. The mini-AWACS project envisages mounting of indigenous AEW&C systems on three Embraer-145 jets from Brazil. DRDO lab CABS is slated to receive the first Embraer in July and it will have modifications with antenna units and other structures mounted on its fuselage. All electronic systems, with a normal radar range of 250-km and 240-degree coverage will then be integrated.

The home grown Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&C) which is being built on a modified Embraer EMB-145 aircraft in Brazil made its first flight in December last year with about 1,000 mission system components provided by DRDO. The most critical mission system component is the AESA radar developed by DRDO. The radar can look 240 degrees within a short time and has a range of 350 km. It can track more than 500 targets simultaneously.

The advantages of AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) system are multifold primarily because of its airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft at long ranges. The radar also enables control and command of the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack plane strikes. AWACS as well as AEW&C units are also used for surveillance over ground targets and can perform C2BM (command and control, battle management) functions. The radar also helps the operators to discern friendly and hostile aircraft.

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ICT in school education

Information and Communication Technology in Schools (ICT @ Schools)

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Information and Communication Technology [ICT] in School” was launched in December 2004, to provide opportunities to secondary stage students to develop ICT skills and also for ICT aided learning process. The Scheme is a major catalyst to bridge the digital divide amongst students of various socio economic and other geographical barriers. The Scheme provides support to States/UTs to establish computer labs on a sustainable basis. It also aims to set up SMART schools in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas to act as “Technology Demonstrators” and to lead in propagating ICT skills among students of neighbourhood schools.

The Scheme currently is being implemented in both Government and Government aided secondary and higher Schools. Support is provided for procurement of computers and peripherals, educational software, training of teachers and internet connectivity etc. The financial assistance is given to States and other institutions on the basis of the approvals accorded by Project Monitoring and Evaluation Group (PM&EG) headed by Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy

More details:

Information and Communication Technology has permeated in every walk of life affecting the technology fields such as launching satellites, managing businesses across the globe and also enabling social networking. The convergence of computer, communication and content technologies, being known as ICT, have attracted attention of academia, business, government and communities to use it for innovative profitable propositions. Year by year it is becoming simpler to use devices such as desktop palm top, iPod etc.

21st century is characterized with the emergence of knowledge based society wherein ICT plays a pivotal role. The National curriculum framework 2005 (NCF 2005) has also highlighted the importance of ICT in school education. With this backdrop, major paradigm shift is imperative in education characterised by imparting instructions, collaborative learning, multidisciplinary problem-solving and promoting critical thinking skills.

Government of India has announced 2010-2020 as the decade of innovation. Reasoning and Critical thinking skills are necessary for innovation. Foundation of these skills is laid at school level. It is desirable that affordable ICT tools and techniques should be integrated into classroom instructions right form primary stage so as to enable students develop their requisite skills. Most of the tools, techniques and tutorials are available in Open domain and accessible on web.

wherein the NCERT had invited responses from teachers involved in the teaching and learning of Mathematics at the senior secondary stage to acquire the skills for using the World Wide Web,the CBSE would like to extend it to all subjects and all classes.

At Primary and Upper Primary level, focus may be on simple access to information and trying to compile different views and analyse them to conclude in one’s own way. At the Secondary level, gathering and structuring of data and computing to arrive at some reports may be taken up in any subject not necessarily Science and Mathematics. At the Senior Secondary level, when students are so exposed, they will get highly motivated to use ICT tools for taking up complex, multidisciplinary problems such as biochemistry, bioinformatics, environmental science, forensic science, nanotechnology, business intelligence etc. This may necessitate computing tools and techniques of generic nature as well as domain-specific. This is the time when the students and the teachers together will work in global competitive environment.

The schools affiliated to the CBSE have been at the forefront of adopting the most modern innovations and practices to ensure there is a continuous enhancement in the overall quality of teaching and learning. The CBSE believes that it must bring the immense benefits of ICT and computing technology to every classroom across its fraternity of affiliated schools to improve academic outcomes of learners and to enhance the productivity of teachers in classrooms. This can be done by encouraging the use of technology in classroom teaching – e-learning and instant assessments which shall also go a long way in supporting its CCE initiative as well.

CCE in the right spirit entails periodic assessments which are integrated effectively in the classroom teaching and learning. Infact all assessments must inform teaching and using technology helps to create interest among learners as for example a quiz may be done online as part of formative assessment. Technology can greatly assist teachers in classrooms to teach difficult and abstract subject matter concepts effectively if the right digital instruction materials, supporting technology infrastructure and intensive training is provided to the teachers to support instruction..

This may require setting up a classroom equipped with LCD projector and facility for computer mediated instructions. Specifically such classroom must have:

a. A projection or display device

b. An interactive system

c. Computer with UPS System

Education content mapped to the CBSE curriculum topics covering all major subjects across all grades may be created gradually by teachers teaching the content.

As a first step in this direction, all CBSE affiliated schools are advised to setup at least one classroom in their schools equipped with technology to enable usage of digital instruction materials in the classroom. Teachers wishing to teach a topic with multimedia resources can take the class to this classroom. Proper advance scheduling may help teachers in their venture.

Declaration of the Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan

National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs)

NMIZs will be mega industrial zones with world class supporting infrastructure. The government is offering a host of incentives like exemption from capital gains tax and a liberalised labour and environment norms to promote these zones. The NMP proposes to create 100 million jobs by 2020.

Seven NMIZs (National Manufacturing Investment Zones)already have been notified, that includes two in Maharashtra and five more in pipeline.

National Manufacturing Policy

The major objectives of the National Manufacturing Policy are:

To increase the sectoral share of manufacturing in GOP to at least 25% by 2022;

To increase the rate of job creation so as to create 100 million additional jobs by 2022;

To enhance global competitiveness, domestic value addition, technological depth and environmental sustainability of growth.

The policy envisages specific interventions broadly in the areas of industrial infrastructure development;

Improvement of the business environment through rationalization and simplification of business regulations;

Development of appropriate technologies especially green technologies for sustainable development and skill development of the younger population.

Industrial infrastructure development is envisaged not only generally but also through the creation of large integrated industrial townships called National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) with state-of-the-art infrastructure;

Land Use

Land use on the basis of zoning; clean and energy efficient technologies; necessary social and institutional infrastructure in order to provide a productive environment to persons transitioning from the primary to the secondary and tertiary sectors. The land for these zones will preferably be waste infertile land not suitable for cultivation; not in the vicinity of any ecologically fragile area and with reasonable access to basic resources.

It is envisaged to ensure compliance of labour and environmental laws while introducing procedural simplifications and rationalization so that the regulatory burden on industry is reduced. The interventions proposed are generally sector neutral, location neutral and technology neutral except the attempt to incentivize green technology for sustainable development No subsidies are proposed for individual units or areas. The basic thrust is to provide an enabling environment for tapping the potential of the private sector and the entrepreneurial skills of the younger population.

The contribution of the manufacturing sector at just over 16% of India's GOP is much below its potential and a cause of concern especially in the context of other Asian countries in similar stages of development. This also has its socio-economic manifestations and prevents India from fully leveraging the opportunities of globalization. India is a young country with over 60% of its population in the working age group. With over 220 million people estimated to join the work force in the next decade, the manufacturing sector will have to create gainful employment for at least half this number. With a view to accelerating the growth of the manufacturing sector, the manufacturing policy proposes to create an enabling environment suitable for the sector to flourish in India.

Australia to create world's largest marine reserve

Australia says it will create the world's largest network of marine parks.

The reserves will cover 3.1 million sq km of ocean, including the Coral Sea.

Restrictions will be placed on fishing and oil and gas exploration in the protected zone covering more than a third of Australia's waters.

Australia has timed its announcement to coincide with the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit - a global gathering of leaders from more than 130 nations to discuss protecting key parts of the environment, including the ocean

Orbital Test Vehicle

The pilotless X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which looks like a miniature version of the space shuttle launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in March 2011, it garnered international attention.

After orbiting the Earth for more than 14 months on a top-secret mission, an experimental space drone landed 16 June 2012 on an airstrip at Vandenberg Air Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara.

Although the X-37B program is "classified," some of the particulars are known. More than 10 years ago, it began as a NASA program to test new technologies for the space shuttle.

The spacecraft is about 29 feet long, or about the size of a small school bus, with stubby wings that stretch out about 15 feet tip to tip. It is one-fifth the size of the space shuttle and can draw on the sun for electricity using unfolding solar panels. It is designed to stay in orbit for 270 days.

The X-37B that landed is the second launched by the military. The first X-37B was launched in April 2010, and it landed 224 days later on its own -- fully automated -- at Vandenberg.

That mission was also shrouded in mystery. Due to its clandestine nature, some industry analysts have theorized the X-37B could be a precursor to an orbiting weapon, capable of dropping bombs or disabling foreign satellites as it circles the globe.

Voyager

The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favourable planetary alignment of the late 1970s. Although officially designated to study just Jupiter and Saturn, the probes were able to continue their mission into the outer solar system, and are expected to push through the Heliosheath. These probes were built at JPL and were funded by NASA. Voyager 1 is the farthest human-made object from Earth. On 15 June 2012, NASA scientists reported that Voyager 1 may be very close to entering interstellar space and becoming the first human-made object to leave the Solar System.

Both missions have gathered large amounts of data about the gas giants of the solar system, of which little was previously known. In addition, the spacecraft trajectories have been used to place limits on the existence of a hypothetical trans-Neptunian planet.

MISSION OVERVIEW

The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft continue exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. In the 33rd year after their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away from Earth and the Sun than Pluto. Voyager 1 and 2 are now in the "Heliosheath" - the outermost layer of the heliosphere where the solar wind is slowed by the pressure of interstellar gas. Both spacecraft are still sending scientific information about their surroundings through the Deep Space Network (DSN).

The primary mission was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn. After making a string of discoveries there -- such as active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io and intricacies of Saturn's rings -- the mission was extended. Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and Neptune, and is still the only spacecraft to have visited those outer planets. The adventurers' current mission, the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM), will explore the outermost edge of the Sun's domain.

Voyager Golden Record

Voyager 1 and 2 both carry with them a golden record that contains pictures and sounds of Earth, along with symbolic directions for playing the record and data detailing the location of Earth. The record is intended as a combination time capsule and interstellar message to any civilization, alien or far-future human, that may recover either of the Voyager craft. 

The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record-a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.

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Voyager Heliosheath  Interstellar

P-8 Poseidon

Indian Navy to induct 24 Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft

The Boeing P-8 Poseidon (formerly the Multimission Maritime Aircraft or MMA) is a military aircraft currently being developed for the United States Navy (USN). The P-8 is being developed by Boeing Defence, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800. It is intended to conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and shipping interdiction and to engage in an electronic intelligence (ELINT) role. This will involve carrying torpedoes, depth charges, SLAM-ER anti-ship missiles, and other weapons. It will also be able to drop and monitor sonobuoys. It is designed to operate in conjunction with the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description and Purpose

The P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy.

This military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space.

The P8 aircraft is a next-gen military version of Boeing 737-800 fuselage with wings from 737-900. The engines are also from the same CFM family used on commercial 737s but more powerful permitting the aircraft low level cruise over the waters and launch sonobuoys to detect submarines.

What is Sonobuoy?

A sonobuoy (a portmanteau of sonar and buoy) is a relatively small (typically 5 inches / 13 centimetres, in diameter and 3 ft/91 cm long) expendable sonar system that is dropped/ejected from aircraft or ships conducting anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic research.

Theory of Operation

The buoys are ejected from aircraft in canisters and deploy upon water impact. An inflatable surface float with a radio transmitter remains on the surface for communication with the aircraft, while one or more hydrophone sensors and stabilizing equipment descend below the surface to a selected depth that is variable, depending on environmental conditions and the search pattern. The buoy relays acoustic information from its hydrophone(s) via UHF/VHF radio to operators onboard the aircraft.

The Indian navy is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing signed a contract Jan. 1, 2009, to deliver 24 long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. Boeing will deliver the first P-8I within 48 months of contract signing, and the remaining seven by 2015.

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NuSTAR - The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array is an Explorer mission that will allow astronomers to study the universe in high energy X-rays. Launched in June 2012, NuSTAR will be the first focusing hard X-ray telescope to orbit Earth and is expected to greatly exceed the performance of the largest ground-based observatories that have observed this region of the electromagnetic spectrum. NuSTAR will also complement astrophysics missions that explore the cosmos in other regions of the spectrum.

X-ray telescopes such as Chandra and XMM-Newton have observed the X-ray universe at low X-ray energy levels. By focusing higher energy X-rays, NuSTAR will start to answer several fundamental questions about the Universe including:

How are black holes distributed through the cosmos?

How were heavy elements forged in the explosions of massive stars?

What powers the most extreme active galaxies?

NuSTAR's primary science objectives include:

Conducting a census for black holes on all scales using wide-field surveys of extragalactic fields and the Galactic center.

Mapping radioactive material in young supernova remnants; Studying the birth of the elements and to understand how stars explode.

Observing relativistic jets found in the most extreme active galaxies and to understand what powers giant cosmic accelerators.

NuSTAR will also study the origin of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars while responding to targets of opportunity including supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. NuSTAR will perform follow-up observations to discoveries made by Chandra and Spitzer, and will team with Fermi, making simultaneous observations which will greatly enhancing Fermi's science return.

During a two-year primary mission phase, NuSTAR will map selected regions of the sky in order to:

take a census of collapsed stars and black holes of different sizes by surveying regions surrounding the center of own Milky Way Galaxy and performing deep observations of the extragalactic sky

map recently-synthesized material in young supernova remnants to understand how stars explode and how elements are created; and

understand what powers relativistic jets of particles from the most extreme active galaxies hosting supermassive black holes.

In addition to its core science program, NuSTAR will offer opportunities for a broad range of science investigations, ranging from probing cosmic ray origins to studying the extreme physics around collapsed stars to mapping microflares on the surface of the Sun. NuSTAR will also respond to targets of opportunity including supernovae and gamma-ray bursts.

The NuSTAR instrument consists of two co-aligned grazing incidence telescopes with specially coated optics and newly developed detectors that extend sensitivity to higher energies as compared to previous missions such as Chandra and XMM. After launching into orbit on a small rocket, the NuSTAR telescope extends to achieve a 10-meter focal length. The observatory will provide a combination of sensitivity, spatial, and spectral resolution factors of 10 to 100 improved over previous missions that have operated at these X-ray energies.

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