Maldives opts out of hydrology agreement with Indian Navy signed in 2019 (GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
- The Maldives has decided to pull out of the 2019 agreement for cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force in the field of hydrology.
Details:
- The agreement was signed during Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the Maldives in June 2019.
- The new Maldives government has opted not to renew the bilateral agreement, which expires on June 7, 2024.
- The agreement suggests that either country can choose not to renew the agreement six months before its expiration in June 2024.
Hydrographic Survey Agreement:
- The agreement allows India to perform a thorough investigation of the island nation's territorial waters, including reefs, lagoons, coastlines, ocean currents, and tidal levels.
- Hydrographic surveys are conducted by ships, which employ tools such as sonar to study the varied aspects of a body of water.
- These surveys help "map out water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of possible obstructions, and physical features of water bodies," to ensure the efficiency and safety of maritime traffic.
Surveys conducted by Indian Navy:
- In February and March of 2021, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Darshak conducted the first Joint Hydrographic survey.
- Three collaborative hydrographic surveys have already been conducted, in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
- An area of 944 square kilometres was effectively surveyed; some of these areas had not been surveyed since 1853. They employed multi-beam echo sounders. The ship was also supposed to conduct tidal measurements in order to make accurate tidal predictions.
- The surveys were conducted to provide updated Navigational Charts/Electronic Navigational Charts of the locations, which would benefit industries like as tourism, fishing, agriculture, and so on.
New government in Maldives:
- The Muizzu-led government had said that it would review some of the agreements that the previous government had signed with India.
- It had asked India to withdraw its military personnel involved in operating the two naval choppers and a Dornier aircraft India had gifted to the Maldives.
- The Maldives had not participated in the NSA-level Colombo Security Conclave, in which it is a member-state along with India, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius.
13 states, UTs among 'achievers' in logistics performance index, DPIIT report
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Commerce and Industry Ministry released a report on the logistics index chart 2023 recently.
- The index is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth.
Key Highlights:
- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, and Gujarat are among the 13 states and Union Territories that have again been categorised as ‘achievers’.
- As against 15 states and UTs, the number has reduced to 13 as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have slipped into ‘aspirers’ and ‘fast movers’ categories, respectively, in 2023.
- Steps taken by Sikkim and Tripura have helped them move up the ladder to the "achievers" category from "fast movers" in 2022.
- The other states and UTs in the "achievers" category are Delhi, Assam, Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry have been categorised as "fast movers" in the report.
- Those in the "aspirers" category include Goa, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
LEADS report
- The report ranks states on the basis of their logistics ecosystem, highlights the key logistics-related challenges faced by the stakeholders and includes suggestive recommendations, according to the fifth LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) 2023 report.
- The index aims at enhancing focus on improving logistics performance across states, which is essential for improving the country's trade and reducing transaction costs.
- The logistics sector will play a key role in taking the country's economy to about USD 35 trillion by 2047.
- The LEADS report will play a pivotal role in instilling healthy competition among states/UTs to enhance logistics performance. LEADS was conceived on the lines of the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) of the World Bank in 2018.
- While the LPI relies entirely on perception-based surveys, LEADS incorporates perception and objectivity, thereby enhancing the robustness and comprehensiveness of this exercise.
Key Pillars:
- The report assesses states' performance across the key pillars of Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services and Operating and Regulatory Environment, and empowers the state/UT governments by providing region-specific insights for informed decision-making and comprehensive growth.
- It is based on a pan-India primary survey conducted between May and July 2023, covering over 7,300 responses across 36 states/UTs.
NASA establishes laser system that transfers data at 1.2 GB per second from space
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- NASA has successfully established a new system of communication that could be used for long-distance data transmission billions of kilometers away from Earth.
- The International Space Station (ISS) completed its first successful laser link with an in-orbit laser relay system completing NASA’s first two-way, end-to-end laser relay system, a significant step forward in enhancing data transmission from space.
Optical communication:
- The collaboration between the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) has demonstrated the potential for laser communications also known as optical communications to revolutionise how we receive data from space.
- Unlike traditional radio waves, laser communications use infrared light to send and receive signals, allowing for more data to be transmitted efficiently and potentially accelerating the pace of scientific discovery.
About ILLUMA-T:
- ILLUMA-T was launched aboard SpaceX’s 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission on November 9, and was subsequently installed on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility of the ISS.
- The successful operation of ILLUMA-T and its interaction with LCRD is part of Nasa's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program's initiative to showcase the advantages of laser communications for both science and exploration missions.
- Following installation, engineers conducted rigorous on-orbit testing to confirm the functionality of the ILLUMA-T payload. Now, it is successfully exchanging data with LCRD at impressive speeds of 1.2 gigabits per second.
LCRD:
- LCRD, which was launched in 2021, has already performed over 300 experimental configurations to fine-tune NASA’s laser communications capabilities.
