ISRO is doing to boost the use of NavIC, India’s version of GPS
To promote the use of ‘NAVigation with the Indian Constellation’ (NavIC), the Indian version of GPS, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will introduce the L1 frequency in all its future satellites.
The seven satellites in the NavIC constellation currently use two frequencies for providing positioning data — the L5 and S bands. However, most mobile System on Chips(SoCs) and wearable devices support the L1 band.
To overcome this drawback, ISRO announced that new satellites from NVS-01 onwards which are meant to replace these satellites will also have L1 frequency.
L1 frequency is one of the most commonly used frequencies in the Global Positioning System (GPS), which even the less sophisticated, civilian-use devices such as smartwatches are capable of receiving. Thus, with this band, the use of the NavIC in wearable devices and personal trackers that use low-power, single-frequency chips can go up.
What is NavIC: NavIC, or Navigation with Indian Constellation is an independent stand-alone navigation satellite system developed by the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO). NavIC was originally approved in 2006. It was expected to be completed by late 2011 but only became operational in 2018. NavIC consists of eight satellites and covers the whole of India’s landmass and up to 1,500 km from its boundaries. Where is NavIC used currently: Currently, NavIC’s use is limited. It is being used in public vehicle tracking in India, for providing emergency warning alerts to fishermen venturing into the deep sea where there is no terrestrial network connectivity, and for tracking and providing information related to natural disasters. How does NavIC work compared to other satellite navigation systems like GPS:
The main difference is the serviceable area covered by these systems. GPS caters to users across the globe and its satellites circle the earth twice a day while NavIC is currently for use in India and adjacent areas.
Moreover, like GPS, there are three more navigation systems that have a global coverage — Galileo from the European Union, Russia-owned GLONASS and China’s Beidou.
QZSS operated by Japan is another regional navigation system covering the Asia-Oceania region with a focus on Japan.
India To Be First Country To Auction SatCom Spectrum
TRAI is in discussion with experts and regulators worldwide for a suitable model and the consultation paper will be floated after those discussions are over. While telecom operators have proposed to allocate spectrum through an auction for satellite communication, satellite industry players have opposed it.
India will be the first country to auction spectrum for satellite communication, and it should be designed to attract investments in the sector, telecom regulator Trai chairman PD Vaghela said. Speaking at a Broadband India Forum summit on SatCom, Vaghela said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will soon make recommendations to make permissions required for satellite communication from various ministries — Information and Broadcasting, Space and Telecom — seamless to enhance ease of doing business in the sector. He also said Trai has received a reference from the Department of Telecommunication for the spectrum required to be put to auction and associated aspects of satellite-based communication.
What Needs To Be Done:
The regulator is yet to come up with a consultation paper on the spectrum auction as per the standard process meant for satellite communication.
About satellite communication:
Satellite communication refers to any communication link that involves the use of an artificial satellite in its propagation path.
Satellite communications play a vital role in modern life.
There are over 2000 artificial satellites in use.
They can be found in geostationary, Molniya, elliptical, and low Earth orbits and are used for traditional point-to-point communications, mobile applications, and the distribution of TV and radio programs.
Satellite communications tend to use high-frequency signals
Global Trade Surges to $32 Trillion Record in 2022 Says UN
The value of global trade is set to reach a new record this year, increasing by about 12 per cent to an estimated $32 trillion, according to a UN report that signaled a slowdown heading into 2023. “The substantial trade growth during the last year was largely due to increases in the value of the trade of energy products,” the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in the report.
What’s More The Report Pointed:
Trade in merchandise goods soared to $25 trillion, an increase of about 10 per cent versus the prior year. Trade in services grew 15 per cent year-over-year to nearly $7 trillion, according to the report.
About The Inflation:
The UN body expects the inflation-adjusted value of global trade will diminish next year because of the combined impact of geopolitical frictions, lower economic growth, higher prices for goods and record levels of global debt.
About The Growth Prospects:
Weaker economic growth and inflation are likely to hamper international commerce in the year ahead. “While the outlook for global trade remains uncertain, negative factors appear to outweigh positive trends”.
HDFC Bank Partners with Startup India for Parivartan SmartUp Grants
HDFC Bank announced the launch of its sixth annual grants program for social startups in partnership with the Government of India’s flagship initiative ‘Startup India’. Known as Parivartan SmartUp Grants, the program aims to identify startups working in the social impact space and support them through monetary grants to their incubators.
HDFC’s Social Initiatives:
The grants have been offered under the aegis of Parivartan, the umbrella name for the bank’s social initiatives. So far, the bank has disbursed over INR 30 crore to more than 45 incubators which supported over 165 startups working in areas like environment, agri-business, ed-tech, waste management, healthcare, and skill development sectors.
This Year’s Focus:
This year the bank will also focus on building capacities of incubators and startups working in tier-II & III cities. Through selected incubator partners, the bank will fund social impact startups developing solutions in environmental conservation, affordable healthcare, sustainable rural economy, technologies for better governance, economic growth of SMEs, gender diversity and inclusion space.
Its Startup Fund:
The bank has been enabling startups through its state-of-the-art SmartUp program, which provides specialised banking and value-added services to entrepreneurs. It aims to assist startups in achieving their goals through the bank’s well renowned and highly advanced smart financial tools, advisory services, and technology.
Extent Of These Initiatives:
Through various CSR initiatives, It has impacted the lives of over 9.6 crore people across the country. It aimed to achieve positive change in people’s lives through direct and indirect interventions through Parivartan, empowering them to become self-sufficient and integrated into society. By announcing partnership with Startup India for the 6th Parivartan SmartUp Grants which would help socially conscious businesses to achieve their vision and mission.
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin inaugurated statue of ‘Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar’
Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated the statue of Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar at the renovated house of Bharathiyar at Varanasi via video conference on 11th December. Stalin also released a souvenir on his centenary. Bharathiyar’s 141st birth anniversary celebrates on the behalf of State Government in various places in the State.
About the Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar:
Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar was a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian independence activist, social reformer and polyglot.
He was bestowed the title “Bharathi” for his excellence in poetry.
Bharathiyar fought for the emancipation of women, against child marriage, vehemently opposed the caste system.
Sister Nivedita inspired Bharathi to recognise the privileges of women and the emancipation of women exercised Bharathi’s mind.
Literary works:
Bharathi joined as Assistant Editor of the Swadesamitran a Tamil daily in 1904.
In 1907, he started editing the Tamil weekly India and the English newspaper Bala Bharatham with M.P.T. Acharya.
He assisted Aurobindo in the Arya journal and later Karma Yogi in Pondicherry.
Three of his greatest works namely, Kuyil Pattu, Panchali Sapatham and Kannan Pattu were composed during 1912
He also translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and Bhagavat Gita to Tamil.
8th India International Science Festival 2022 to be held in Bhopal
India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022:
India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will be held in Bhopal in January 2023 and incidentally, it is one of the major events to be held after India took over G-20 Presidency. IISF is the initiative of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Earth Science of Government of India in association with Vijnana Bharati which is a science movement with swadeshi spirit led by eminent scientists of the country. The IISF 2022 is the eighth edition since its inception in 2015.
India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022: Key points
It is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers, scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.
It also provides opportunities to people and scientific fraternity in the country and abroad to come together, work together and experience the joy of doing science for the wellbeing of India and humanity.
There will be fourteen events organized during these four days which will be running parallel with the participation of more than 8,000 delegates from across the country. More than lakhs of local visitors will witness the festival and will remember the festival for its unique grandeur and creativity in science.
IISF has evolved progressively through its innovative design of programs and activities connecting various aspects of life to science. The number of participants from India and abroad has grown steadily with every edition and the journey is on involving more and more people to attain the desired outcome.
This year’s IISF will also witness “Vigyanika”, the Science Literature Festival where several programs related to the various genre will been organized. As a new feather to the cap, two-day Student’s Innovation Festival (SIF22), is added to IISF 2022.
SIF22 would provide an avenue for showcasing innovative products, projects, and ideas developed by Students, we see the best technology being incubated here. The International Science Film Festival of India (ISFFI) will be another highlight of the festival and will promote in recognizing the efforts of filmmakers and motivate them to develop scientific and innovative content.
About the India International Science Festival:
The first and second IISF were held in New Delhi, the third in Chennai, the fourth one in Lucknow, fifth in Kolkata, sixth through virtual mode and the last one IISF was held in Goa which witnessed a footfall from over 5 lakh people worldwide. The pandemic in 2020 due to Covid-19 posed a serious challenge for the conduct of this annual event, but the challenge was overcome by conducting the event on a virtual platform to maintain the uninterrupted flow of journey.
France to host International Conference “Standing with the Ukrainian People”
Standing with the Ukrainian People:
According to the French embassy, France will host an International conference “Standing with the Ukrainian People” in Paris with an aim to coordinate international support for civilian resilience in Ukraine and address the Ukrainian people’s urgent humanitarian needs. The conference is organised at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and is co-organised with Ukraine. During the conference, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address virtually.
Why France will host this International conference?
The Ukrainian people are facing dire difficulties in all sectors essential to life: electricity supply, food security, water supply, and access to medical care.
This situation is aggravated by the onset of winter and by the increased Russian bombardments against civilian infrastructures in Ukraine, particularly energy infrastructure, resulting in severe blackouts.
The goal of the conference is therefore to muster international humanitarian aid to bolster the Ukrainian people’s resilience through the harsh winter, and establish a coordination mechanism to ensure effective and needs-based delivery of aid.
This international conference gather representatives from 47 countries as well as 22 international organizations and financial institutions. The conferences was attended by several heads of State or government and will feature a virtual address by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.
Some 70 countries and institutions worldwide pledged more than 1 billion euros ($1.05 billion) in immediate aid to help Ukraine get through a harsh winter as Russian forces batter its energy grid and other critical civilian infrastructure.
Comments