Whatsapp 93125-11015 For Details
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the hot test of CE20 cryogenic engine, which has been indigenously developed for LVM3, previously called the GSLV-Mk3.
According to the space agency, CE20 cryogenic engine is indigenously developed for LVM3. It was subjected to a successful hot test at an uprated thrust level of 21.8 tonne for the first time on November 9, at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
This will enhance the LVM3 payload capability up to 450 kg with additional propellant loading. The major modifications carried out on this test article compared to previous engines was introduction of Thrust Control Valve (TCV) for thrust control.
ISRO said in addition to the hot test, a 3D printed LOX and LH2 turbine exhaust casings were inducted in the engine for the first time.
During this test, the engine operated with ~20t thrust level for first 40s, then thrust level was increased to 21.8t by moving thrust control valve.
During the test, engine and facility performance was normal and required parameters were achieved, according to ISRO.The LVM3 is the heaviest launch vehicle of ISRO.
Last month, the LVM3 launch vehicle placed 36 satellites of OneWeb; this was LVM’s first commercial launch.
Following the launch, ISRO said that the LVM3 has become a catalyst for the Indian Space Programme, opening new vistas for heavy payloads to the Low Earth Orbit. Early next year ISRO is expected to launch LVM’s second commercial launch.
Editorial
Forgotten in India after fighting from world trenches (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 1, History)
On the eleventh hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the guns fell silent over Europe, bringing an end to a brutal war that drew in soldiers and contributions from around the world.
Indian blood was spilled in Europe, as it was in Africa, West Asia and Asia. The memory of the almost 10 million battlefield deaths in the First World War and the 15 million or more who were killed fighting the Second World War is now honoured in countries around the world on November 11, with nation-wide silences and the laying of wreaths.
Not so much in India — apart from in Army cantonments and at the British Consulate in Kolkata — even though over 1,61,000 men made the ultimate sacrifice for India’s freedom.
Seventy-five years after Independence, it is time to honour India’s immense contribution to the world wars and move it from a footnote in another country’s history to the main stage, where it belongs. These were India’s wars too.
Indian reticence over these two conflicts arises from the uneasy relationship between the Indian contribution to fighting fascism on a global stage and the nationalist movement for freedom at home.
The success of the first is seen to have come at the cost of the second. It began with the betrayal of nationalist expectations of greater autonomy for India in return for support during the Great War.
This was compounded by the bitterness of Viceroy Lord Linlithgow declaring war on Germany on India’s behalf in 1939 without consulting Indian leaders, and further roiled by the pitting of Indian against Indian when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army sided with the Axis Powers in the hope that this might bring freedom.
Opinion
Should Chief Ministers have a say in the appointment of Governors? (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
With the rise in instances of tension, and even stand-offs, between State governments and Governors, there is once again a debate on the role of the Raj Bhavan.
In a discussion moderated by Sonam Saigal , Margaret Alva and M.R. Madhavan discuss the role and conduct of Governors, the relation of Governors with the Centre and State government, and whether Chief Ministers should have a say in the appointment of Governors in their respective States. Edited excerpts:
The post of Governor is actually inherited from the past. The Mughals had Governors in order to be able to reach out to vast territories of the empire.
The British also had Governors to be able to govern India. There are those who believe that the post is redundant, and there are others who feel that the Governor does play an important role.
To me, the Governor is essentially a link between the Centre and the States. The Governor has various functions, such as addressing the joint session of the Assembly and the Budget session, and signing Bills that have been passed by the Assembly. The Governor has administrative and political functions to perform.
We are a federal country, which has a clear design that there will be constituent States who elect their own governments, and a Union of States.
So, there is a need to ensure unity and some level of uniformity across the Union. This creates its own tension. One of the designs of the Constitution, to supposedly manage this tension, is the post of Governor as a link between the Centre and the States. One can argue that the post of Governor has added to the tension at various times instead of resolving it.
The appointment of the Governor today is in the hands of the ruling party in New Delhi. Many Governors, I’m sorry to say, function as if the Raj Bhavans are party offices of the ruling party.
Text & Context
Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Ukraine’s defence and intelligence unit has reported on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson but predicts it to be a delusion for a retreat.
U.S. President Joe Biden and the EU leaders have termed the withdrawal as a “difficult position” for Russian President Vladimir Putin and condemned the brutality of deporting Ukrainians.
Geographically, Kherson is a strategic location for Russia and Ukraine. Situated in the northwest of the Dnipro River, the province shares borders with Donetsk, Crimea and the Black Sea.
With Moscow capturing Crimea in 2014, the occupation of Kherson in March 2022 has benefited Russia in transferring its military from Crimea to counter Ukraine.
It provides access to Odesa and Black Sea ports in the west and serves as the main route to secure southern Ukraine.
For Ukraine, regaining Kherson is significant to protect its population in Kalanchak and Chaplynka districts and also to recapture Crimea. Kherson is also an important region for its agricultural produce, with irrigation channels.
In early March 2022, Kherson was captured by Russia through intense fighting. The battle of Kherson proved to be the starting point to capturing and occupying the southern part of Ukraine while the battles for Kharkiv and Kyiv in the north progressed. Russia’s hold over Kherson since March 2022 enabled Moscow to capture the key port cities — Mariupol in the Sea Azov, and Odesa, thus expanding control.
Kherson’s irrigation canals were used as defence positions, creating a strong line preventing Ukraine’s counter-attacks. Russia also had positioned its soldiers in Kherson and stockpiled the ammunition.
There are three reasons behind the move. First is the mobilisation failure. When Russia was advancing rapidly in capturing the southern and northern cities of Ukraine, its military personnel and weapon systems started to run thin. Russia then pursued a partial mobilisation as the next strategy to circumvent its on-ground limitations.
News
Human rights defenders must obey law of the land, India says in Geneva (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
India appreciates the role of human rights defenders, journalists and activists in the democratic system but the activities of these groups and individuals should be in conformity with the law of the land, said Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. The session was live-streamed.
Starting the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of India at the HRC, Greece, the Netherlands and Vatican City on Thursday called upon the Government of India to ensure freedom of religion and end discrimination against human rights defenders and religious minorities.
“Actions were taken against some organisations due to their illegal practices including malafide re-routing of money and wilful and continuing violations of extant legal provisions, foreign exchange management rules and tax law of India,” said Tushar Mehta in defence of India’s actions regarding the human rights defenders. Earlier, the member countries of the HRC made a number of observations touching upon Indian society and polity.
Germany expressed concern about the rights situation in India and said, “Germany remains concerned about the rights of marginalised groups, especially religious minorities as well as women and girls.”
Germany also said that the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act should not “unduly restrict” the “freedom of association” in India.
The German representative called upon India to strengthen the National Human Rights Commission and said the discrimination against Dalits should end.
COP-27: India insists on new target by 2024 (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Developing countries require “substantive enhancement” in climate finance beyond the floor commitment of $100 billion a year to meet their ambitious goals and rich countries need to lead the mobilisation of resources, India has stressed at the ongoing UN climate summit COP-27 at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
At the COP-15 held in Copenhagen in 2009, developed countries had committed to jointly mobilise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries tackle the effects of climate change.
Developing countries, including India, are pushing rich countries to agree to a new global climate finance target — also known as the new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG) — which they say should be in the trillions of dollars, given that the costs of addressing and adapting to climate change have grown substantially.
The commitment of $100 billion made in 2009 by developed countries was not only minuscule given the scale of needs but has also not been achieved yet,” said the Indian delegation at a high-level ministerial dialogue on NCQG at COP-27.
India said that climate actions to meet the nationally determined contributions (NDC) targets require financial, technological, and capacity-building support from developed countries, people aware of the developments said.
Citing the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), India said rich countries are the major contributors to the carbon stock in the atmosphere.
This fact underlies the importance of the core principles of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement — equity and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’.
According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), developed countries mobilised $52.5 billion in 2013. After dropping to $44.6 billion in 2015, the finance flow has steadily increased.
Business
‘Current account deficit may be lower at 3% this fiscal’ (Page no. 18)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
State Bank of India has pencilled in a lower current account deficit for India at 3% for this fiscal as against the minimum consensus of 3.5%, citing rising software exports, remittances and a likely $5-billion jump in forex reserves via swap deals.
Every $10 rise in crude prices impacts the Current Account Deficit (CAD) to the tune of 40 basis points while the same on fuel inflation is 50 bps and also results in 23 bps decline in growth, according to Soumyakanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser at SBI.
Exchange rate is a major contributor to software exports growth. “Every Rs. 1 fall against the dollar leads to an increase in software exports by $250 million”.
This, along with an expected $5 billion-forex reserve accrual by way of swap transactions and higher remittances, will cap CAD at 3% of GDP as against the average lowest level projected for the year at 3.5%, Mr. Ghosh said.
Strong remittances and software exports had pushed down CAD by 60 basis points (bps) in the June quarter, he said. If the trends continued in July-September, CAD would fall below 3.5% and stand at 3% for the full fiscal. Even otherwise, the chances of it exceeding 3.5% of GDP are minimal, he added.
Software exports have been rising with the share of offsite mode of exports by domestic IT services firms soaring to 88.8% in FY22 from 82.8% five years earlier.