Chandrayaan-1

Launch: October 22, 2008             Site: Satish Dhavan Space Centre, Sriharikota

The objectives of the programme were:

  1. To develop and orbit a spacecraft around moon using an Indian-made launch vehicle.
  2. To prepare a three-dimensional atlas of both the near and the far side of the moon.
  3. Chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface.
  4. To study the impact of Moon Impact Probe on the surface of the moon as a fore-runner to future soft landing missions.

NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) had on Chandrayaan-1 had detected water on the surface of moon. The mission was expected to last two years. However, the communication with the satellite was lost on 29 August 2009 and the mission was declared over. It lasted for 312 days and achieved 95 percent of its objectives.

Chandrayaan-1 was selected by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as one of the recipients of its annual AIAA SPACE 2009 awards for contributions to space science and technology.

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Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

SDO is a NASA mission launched on February 11, 2010 which will observe the sun for over five years. The observatory is a part of the living with a star program. SDO’s goal is to understand the sun’s influence on earth and near-earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and … Read more

Internet Protocol version 6

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a version of the Internet Protocol (IP). It is designed to succeed the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). While IPv4 allows 32 bits for an Internet Protocol address, and can therefore support 232 (4,294,967,296) addresses, IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, so the new address space supports 2128 (approximately 340 undecillion or 3.4×1038) addresses. This expansion allows for many more devices and users on the internet as well as extra flexibility in allocating addresses and efficiency for routing traffic. It also eliminates the primary need for network address translation (NAT), which gained widespread deployment as an effort to alleviate IPv4 address exhaustion.
IPv6 also implements additional features not present in IPv4. It simplifies aspects of address assignment (stateless address autoconfiguration), network renumbering and router announcements when changing Internet connectivity providers.
The Internet Protocol Suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks.
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams (packets) across an internetwork using theInternet Protocol Suite. Responsible for routing packets across network boundaries, it is the primary protocol that establishes the Internet.

Read moreInternet Protocol version 6

Role and Functions of Reserve Bank of India

Role of RBI Pre-reform Post-reform Developmental Role: the developmental role has increased in view of the changing structure of the economy with a focus on SMEs and financial inclusion Priority Sector Lending: Introduced from 1974 with public sector banks. Extended to all commercial banks by 1992 In the revised guidelines for PSL the thrust is … Read more

Fundamental Rights

Fundamental Rights Discrimination not on grounds only of Art 15: religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth Art 16: religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence Reservation First Backward Classes Commission: 1953, Kaka Kalelkar Second BCC: 1979, B P Mandal (by Morarji Desai govt) Article 340 Reasonable Restrictions Speech and Expression: sovereignty and … Read more

Union and State Executive

Governor Same person can be appointed the governor of two or more states Appointed by the President May resign by writing to the President Qualification Citizen of India 35 years of age Art 161: Pardon for any offence against a law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends Constitution … Read more

Constitutional Development & Indian Constitution

Making of the constitution 1934: Idea of constituent assembly put forward by M N Roy 1935: INC officially demands constituent assembly 1938: JL Nehru’s declaration on the constitution of India 1940: Nehru’s demand accepted in the form of August Offer August Offer PM: Winston Churchill While rejecting INCs demand for independence of India after the … Read more

The years of Stagnation and Emergence of socialism

  Gandhiji was arrested in 1922 and sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment. The result was the spread of disintegration, disorganization and demoralization in the nationalist ranks. After a defeat of their resolution of ‘either mending or ending’ in the Congress, CR Das and Motilal Nehru resigned and formed the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party in December … Read more

Struggles for Gurudwara Reform and Temple Entry

  The Akali movement The movement arose with the objective of freeing the Gurudwaras from the control of ignorant and corrupt priests (mahants). Apart from the mahants, after the British annexation of Punjab in 1849, some control over the Gurudwaras was exercised by Government-nominated managers and custodians, who often collaborated with mahants. The government gave … Read more

Non Co-operation and Khilafat Movement

Non Co-operation Movement Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms 1919: Dyarchy In a system called “dyarchy,” the nation-building departments of government — agriculture, education, public works, and the like — were placed under ministers who were individually responsible to the legislature. The departments that made up the “steel frame” of British rule — finance, revenue, and home affairs — … Read more