The correct answer is option 3.

In News

• The Hindu: INSAT-3DS satellite sent to launch port in Sriharikota.

Key PointsINSAT-3DS satellite:

• INSAT-3DS, is an exclusive meteorological satellite realized by ISRO with the primary objective of providing continuity of services to the existing in-orbit INSAT-3D and 3DR satellites and significantly enhancing the capabilities of the INSAT system. Hence option 3 is correct.
• It is flagged off to the  SDSC launch port on January 25, 2024, for the launch onboard GSLV F14.
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SDSC, is the primary spaceport of the Indian Space Research Organization, located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 
• The satellite is a user-funded project with the Ministry of Earth Science (MoES), configured around ISRO's well-proven I-2k bus platform with a Lift-Off Mass of 2275 kg.
• Indian Industries have significantly contributed to the making of the Satellite.
• The satellite is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning, with state-of-the-art payloads viz., 6 channel Imager & 19 channel Sounder meteorology payloads, communication payloads viz., The Data Relay Transponder (DRT) and Satellite aided Search and Rescue (SAS&R) transponder.
  • The Data relay transponder (DRT) instrument, receives meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic data from automatic Data Collection Platforms / Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and augments the weather forecasting capabilities.
  • Satellite-aided Search and Rescue (SAS&R) transponder is incorporated in the satellite to relay a distress signal/alert detection from the beacon transmitters for search and rescue services with global receive coverage.
• The significant improvements incorporated in INSAT-3DR are:
  • Imaging in the Middle Infrared band to provide nighttime pictures of low clouds and fog
  • Imaging in two Thermal Infrared bands for estimation of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) with better accuracy
  • Higher Spatial Resolution in the Visible and Thermal Infrared bands

Additional InformationGSLV-F14:

• It is a more advanced rocket utilizing liquid propellant.
• The rocket, distinguished by its higher capacity and the use of cryogenic liquid propellants in all three stages, presents a more complex engineering challenge but allows for a substantially higher lift-off weight capacity.

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The correct answer is PSLV.

Key Points

• The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) is a platform that will help perform in-orbit experiments using the final, and otherwise discarded, stage of ISRO’s workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• ​PSLV (Polar S.atellite Launch Vehicle) is an indigenously-developed expendable launch system of the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization).
• PSLV is the third generation launch vehicle of India and is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
• Some remarkable launches by PSLV are Chandrayaan-1 (First Indian lunar probe), Mangalyaan-1 (First Mars Orbiter Mission by India) and Astrosat (First Indian dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory).

Additional Information 

• The Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, or Advanced Satellite Launch Vehicle, also known as ASLV, was a five-stage solid-fuel small-lift launch vehicle designed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for placing 150 kg of satellites in LEO.
• The GSLV program is an initiative of ISRO and is responsible for the development of a launch system for satellites in space
  • It was started in 1990 to expand India's capability of launching geosynchronous satellites into Earth's orbit.
  • The full form of GSLV is Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.
• GSLV Mk-III has developed by ISRO, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III is a three-stage vehicle.
  • GSLV Mk-III rocket system was used for Mission Chandrayan 2.

The correct answer is Michel Talagrand

In News

•  Michel Talagrand of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris, France, has been awarded the Abel Prize for 2024.

Key Points

• Talagrand's contributions lie in probability theory and stochastic processes, which are crucial in understanding random phenomena prevalent in various aspects of modern life.
• Professor Helge Holden, chair of the Abel Prize Committee, acknowledges Talagrand as an exceptional mathematician and problem solver, whose work has reshaped several areas of probability theory.
• His proof of the Parisi formula for free energy of spin glasses is particularly lauded.
• Talagrand was born in France in 1952 and earned his PhD in mathematics from the University of Paris VI in 1977.
• He has also spent time at Ohio State University in the US and is a member of the French Academy of Sciences.

• Specific Areas of Work Recognized:
• Suprema of Stochastic Processes: Talagrand's work involves understanding the largest values to be expected from sequences of random values, such as the height of waves crashing on a beach.
• Concentration of Measures: Talagrand provided quantitative estimates for how different sources of randomness can compensate for each other, leading to more predictable results in certain processes.
• Spin Glass: Talagrand's contributions extend to spin glass, a special form of matter. He utilized his knowledge of statistics and probability to place limits on the behavior of spin glass matter, contributing to the completion of Giorgio Parisi's Nobel Prize-winning work.

The correct answer is 1961.

Key Points

• World Theatre Day is celebrated every year on 27 March.
• The Day was first celebrated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in the year 1961.
• People celebrate World Theatre Day by organizing theatrical productions at venues all across the world.

Important Points

• The International Theatre Institute (ITI) has over 85 centres throughout the world.
• World Theatre Day promotes the celebration of this day in schools and colleges as well.
• This year, the theme for World Theatre Day 2024 is "Theatre and a Culture of Peace."

The Correct Answer is ​​To allow the public to report election code violations.

In News

• Election Commission launched CVIGIL App to supervise election process.

Key Points

•  The CVIGIL app has allowed the public to report election code violations via photos/videos.
• It has enabled the reporting of Model Code of Conduct and expenditure breaches.
• CEC Rajiv Kumar has assured action on reports within 100 minutes.
• The app will connect vigilant citizens with District Control Room, Returning Officer and Flying Squads Teams, making the electoral system more transparent.

The Correct Answer is ​Simon Harris.

In News

• Simon Harris will become Ireland’s youngest PM soon.

Key Points

• Simon Harris will be voted in as Ireland’s youngest-ever prime minister when parliament next sits on April 9.
• He was appointed as the new leader of the governing Fine Gael party recently.
• Ireland's parliament is called "Oireachtas."
• It is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe.
•  It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, and the Irish Sea.

The Correct Answer is ​Galaxies merging with the Milky Way.

In News

•  Scientists uncover Milky Way’s ancient building blocks, Shakti & Shiva.

Key Points

• Shakti and Shiva are comprised of stars with similar chemical compositions.
• Each structure has a mass about 10 million times greater than our sun.
• These structures, found using observations from European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope.
• The scientists predicted that these may be the relics of two distinct galaxies that merged 12 billion years ago with the Milky Way's primordial pieces.
• The Milky Way is a large spiral-shaped galaxy populated by hundreds of billions of stars whose disk measures approximately 100,000 light years in diameter.
• A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

The Correct Answer is ​Galaxies merging with the Milky Way.

In News

•  Scientists uncover Milky Way’s ancient building blocks, Shakti & Shiva.

Key Points

• Shakti and Shiva are comprised of stars with similar chemical compositions.
• Each structure has a mass about 10 million times greater than our sun.
• These structures, found using observations from European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope.
• The scientists predicted that these may be the relics of two distinct galaxies that merged 12 billion years ago with the Milky Way's primordial pieces.
• The Milky Way is a large spiral-shaped galaxy populated by hundreds of billions of stars whose disk measures approximately 100,000 light years in diameter.
• A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

The Correct Answer is ​Harivansh Narayan Singh.

In News

• Harivansh attended 148 Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva.

Key Points

•  Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh led an Indian delegation to the 148th IPU Assembly in Geneva.
• They participated in IPU Asia Pacific Group, BRICS Forum, and Women Parliamentarians’ Forum.
• IPU is an international organization of national parliaments.
• Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members.