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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) began the New Year with the successful launch of its first X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), which will study X-ray polarisation and its cosmic sources such as black holes and neutron stars.
Lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota Monday morning, ISRO’s popular launch vehicle PSLV-C58 put the XPoSat in a precise circular orbit of 650 km after a 21-minute flight.
The XPoSat is only the world’s second such mission after the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched by NASA in 2021.
It comprises two payloads, including Indian X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX) and X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT). These have been built by Raman Research Institute and UR Rao Satellite Centre, both in Bengaluru.
On 1st January 2024 yet another successful mission of the PSLV has been accomplished. PSLV C58 has placed the primary satellite XPoSat in the desired orbit.
Govt & Politics
Aadhaar-based system must now, govt says may give exemptions on case basis (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 2, Social Justice)
With the Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) now mandatory for payment of wages to NREGS workers, the Government said it may consider exemptions on a “case-by-case basis” should any gram panchayat face “technical issues”.
The announcement by the Rural Development Ministry came hours after the Congress attacked the Government, calling the ABPS Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “cruel New Year gift to exclude crores of the poorest and marginalised Indians from earning a basic income”.
Under ABPS, workers’ 12-digit Aadhaar numbers are linked with their job cards as well as their bank accounts. The system was first made mandatory with effect from February 1, 2023 but, through several extensions, the Centre allowed until December 31, 2023 the mixed route — of ABPS and NACH, an interbank system used for bulk payments such as subsidies and salaries.
With no extension granted to states beyond December 31, the ABPS became mandatory from January 1, 2024.
The Government of India has decided to make the wage payment of unskilled workers through APBS to ensure the payment of beneficiaries into their bank accounts, even in case of frequent change of bank account by the beneficiary.
India, Pakistan exchange list of nuke installations (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
India and Pakistan exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral pact that prohibits the two sides from attacking each other’s atomic facilities, continuing an annual practice that began in 1992.
India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities between India and Pakistan. It was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988, and came into force on January 27, 1991. The pact mandates the two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 of every calendar year. “This is the 33rd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries.
Editorial
X-ray eye in the sky (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
The New Year for Indian astronomers came with real fireworks. As the world woke up to the first morning of 2024, ISRO’s launch vehicle put into orbit a new X-ray payload (XPoSat, X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) for astronomical research.
If all goes well, the instrument, totally indigenous in design and fabrication, will herald yet another milestone for Indian astronomers.
For the past 15 years, the main instrument aboard the payload, POLIX (Indian X-ray Polarimeter) has been built at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bangalore.
Measuring roughly half a metre in all dimensions and weighing almost two hundred kilograms, it is not large, as typical astronomical detectors in space go. But its size belies the unique capabilities of the new apparatus, which aims to study a special property of X-rays in space.
X-rays, like ordinary light, are electromagnetic waves. These are generated by movements of electric charges when the electric and magnetic fields in its vicinity are disturbed.
Just as molecules bob up and down in water waves, the electric field keeps changing as X-ray moves in space. The “direction” of its variation depends on the motion of the electric charge responsible for the wave. For an up-down motion of the charge, for example, the electric field in X-ray waves also fluctuates vertically.
World
Israel to withdraw some troops from Gaza, shift focus to targeted strikes (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Israel will begin pulling thousands of soldiers out of Gaza this week in preparation for a new phase of the conflict, the military announced, though a top official warned that he expected the fighting to continue throughout the year.
The announcement from the Israel Defense Forces marked the biggest known withdrawal of troops from the territory since the war against Hamas began and comes after the military said it was expanding operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip.
A senior US official said Monday that the move shows signs of the country’s gradual shift to a lower-intensity phase of its war.
The 551st and 14th brigades – comprised of reservists – will return to their families and civilian lives this week, the IDF said in a statement.
The 828th brigade, which trains squad commanders; the 261st brigade, which trains army officers; and the 460th brigade, which trains the armored corps, will return to their scheduled training.
The statement said the move is expected to “significantly alleviate economic burdens” and the troops “to gather strength for upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will persist, and their services will still be needed.”
Economy
Govt extends PLI for Auto sector by a year (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Ministry of Heavy Industries on Monday announced the extension of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components by one year with "partial amendments".
This decision has been made after receiving the approval of the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS). In pursuance of the approval of EGoS, the Ministry of Heavy Industries has made partial amendments in the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the Automobile and Auto Component Industry and Guidelines of the Scheme. These amendments, effective from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, aim to provide clarity and flexibility to the scheme. Under the amended scheme, the incentive will be applicable for a total of five consecutive financial years, starting from the financial year 2023-24.
The disbursement of the incentive will take place in the following financial year 2024-25. The scheme also specifies that an approved applicant will be eligible for benefits for five consecutive financial years, but not beyond the financial year ending on March 31, 2028.
Furthermore, the amendments state that if an approved company fails to meet the threshold for an increase in Determined Sales Value over the first year's threshold, it will not receive any incentive for that year.
However, it will still be eligible for benefits in the next year if it meets the threshold calculated on the basis of a 10 per cent year-on-year growth over the first year's threshold.
This provision aims to ensure a level playing field for all approved companies and safeguard those who preferred to front-load their investments.
Explained
XPoSat launch: What is ISRO’s first mission of this yr (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) put its first polarimetry mission X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) in a precise circular orbit of 650 km on Monday (January 1) morning after a 21-minute flight.
XPoSat is the world’s second satellite-based mission dedicated to making X-ray polarimetry measurements. Here is everything you need to know about the mission.
X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is India’s maiden mission dedicated to analysing the polarisation of X-rays emanating from bright celestial sources in the medium frequency band.
XPoSat comprises two payloads, including Indian X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX) and X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT). They have been built by Raman Research Institute and UR Rao Satellite Centre, both located in Bengaluru.
The spacecraft is designated for observation from low earth orbit (~ 650 km, low inclination of ~ 6 degree).
It has an estimated mission life of about five years during which XPoSat will observe sources that emit polarised X-rays.
The observations will be done when the magnetars or neutron stars (they are highly magnetic and display a wide array of X-ray activity) are in transit through the Earth’s shadow, for instance, during the eclipse period.