. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	About the SSLV	Prelims & Mains
2.	Details of the Lumpy Skin Disease	Prelims & Mains
3.	About the Foreigner Tribunal	Prelims & Mains
4.	Details of the Nalanda University	Prelims & Mains

1 – About the SSLV:GS III

Topic à Science and Technology

 

·       About:

 

·       With about 110 tonnes in weight, it is the lightest vehicle. It will only take 72 hours to integrate, as opposed to the 70 days it now takes to launch a vehicle.

·       The tried-and-true Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) can only transport satellites up to 500 kg into low earth orbit, despite the fact that it can launch satellites up to 1000 kg.

·       The SSLV is a three-stage, all-solid rocket that can send 300 kg of satellites into Sun Synchronous Orbit and 500 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at a height of 500 km (SSO).

·       It is perfect for concurrently launching many microsatellites and supporting multiple orbital drop-offs.

·       The main advantages of SSLV are its low cost, rapid turnaround, versatility to accommodate several satellites, practicality of launch on demand, minimal launch infrastructure needs, etc.

·       The government has authorised a total investment of Rs. 169 Crores for the development project, which involves the production and qualification of the vehicle systems as well as flight demonstration via three development flights (SSLV-D1, SSLV-D2 & SSLV-D3).

·       The SSLV was created and developed while Dr. Somanath was the center’s director in Thiruvananthapuram starting in 2018. He is now the next head of ISRO.

·       Originally scheduled to occur in July 2019, the SSLV’s first flight has been delayed due to issues with Covid-19 and other considerations.

 

·       Application of SSLV:

 

·       Increasing the synergy between the space industry and private Indian firms through the development and manufacture of the SSLV is one of the space ministry’s main goals.

·       The Indian industry should work together to produce the SSLV after it has been shown. There is currently a consortium in place to produce PSLV.

·       The recently founded ISRO commercial arm, New Space India Limited (NSIL), will collaborate with the Indian corporate sector through knowledge transfers to mass-produce and build the SSLV and the more potent PSLV.

·       With the aid of Indian industrial partners, it seeks to utilise ISRO’s decades of research and development for commercial purposes.

·       Small satellite launches have so far been carried out using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the workhorse of ISRO with more than 50 successful launches. Therefore, the successful completion of launch contracts by ISRO for larger spacecraft has been a prerequisite for small satellite launches.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

2 – Details of the Lumpy Skin Disease:GS III

Topic à Health Related Issues

 

·       Causes:

 

·       Cattle or water buffalo get infected with the Lumpy Skin Disease Virus, which causes LSD (LSDV).

·       According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, mortality is under 10%. (FAO).

·       Zambia reported an epidemic of lumpy skin disease in 1929. It was formerly thought to be the result of poisoning or a reaction to insect bites.

 

·       Transmission:

 

·       The primary biting insects (vectors) that spread lumpy skin disease between animals are mosquitoes and biting flies.

 

·       Symptoms:

 

·       Fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, saliva oozing from the lips, and body blisters are the major symptoms.

·       When an animal has trouble chewing or eating, it stops eating, which reduces milk production.

 

·       Prevention and treatment:

 

·       The Indian Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme covers the cost of several disease vaccinations.

·       There are no specific antiviral drugs available to treat lumpy skin conditions. The only available treatment for cattle is supportive care. This may entail using drugs to prevent recurrent skin infections and pneumonia as well as wound care sprays to treat skin blemishes.

·       Anti-inflammatory drugs can be administered to animals under discomfort to keep them from losing their appetite.

 

Source à The Hindu

 

 

3 – About the Foreigner Tribunal:GS III

Topic à Citizenship Related Issues

 

·       Regarding Assam’s Foreigners Tribunals:

 

·       The tribunals, which are quasi-judicial bodies, determine whether or not people who are present without authorization qualify as “foreigners.”

·       If a person’s name does not appear in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC), they may appeal to the Foreigners Tribunals, which serves as the appellate authority (FT).

·       Assam has constituted FTs to address the concerns of the 19.06 lakh persons who were left off of the updated NRC.

·       In accordance with the provisions of the Foreigners Act of 1946 and the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964, only Foreigners Tribunals have the jurisdiction to declare a person to be a foreigner.

·       The Assam Police Border Organization, a component of the State police tasked with detecting foreigners, prepares the cases for the tribunals to assess who is a foreigner and who is not.

 

·       Foreign Tribunal Members:

 

·       Each FT member is appointed in line with the Foreigners Tribunal Act of 1941 and the Foreigners Tribunal Order of 1984, according to the rules that are periodically published by the government.

·       A retired judge from the Assam Judicial Service, a retired civil servant with judicial expertise who held a post at least as high as secretary but not lower, or an active lawyer who is at least 35 years old and has at least seven years of experience are all eligible to join.

·       Membership also requires proficiency in the four official languages of Assam—Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, and English—as well as knowledge of the issue’s historical background.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

4 – Details of the Nalanda University:

Prelims Specific Topic

 

·       About:

 

·       Nalanda University is a recreated facsimile of the original Nalanda University and is situated in Rajgir in the Nalanda District in contemporary Bihar.

·       It is a secular, global, nonprofit organisation that is not affiliated with any state.

·       It was proposed in 2006 by the late president APJ Abdul Kalam.

·       It was established by the Nalanda University Act, 2010, which was based on a joint press release issued during the 4th East Asia Summit, which took place in Thailand in October 2009.

·       It functions as part of the Ministry of External Affairs.

·       To undertake academic, philosophic, historical, and spiritual investigation is necessary.

·       This university started offering classes in September 2014.

·       There are currently 116 students enrolled in its three academic programmes, which include the School of Ecology and Environment Studies, the School of Historical Studies, and the School of Buddhist Studies.

·       Included are 35 international students from 21 different countries.

 

·       Information about the historic Nalanda University:

 

·       The illustrious Nalanda University was established in 427 AD, under the authority of Gupta emperor Sakraditya.

·       It was one of India’s very earliest universities.

·       At its height, it drew scholars and students from near and far, with some travelling all the way from Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia.

 

Source à The Hindu