About SLIM

• SLIM was launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in September 2023 aboard the H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima spaceport.
• It aims to demonstrate precision landing within 100 metres through new technologies.
• It also carried two mini robotic rovers developed by Sony and Tomy for reconnaissance.
• The mission aims to revitalise Japan's space program which suffered setbacks like the failure of the flagship H3 rocket in March 2023.

Objectives

• The mission aims to observe X-rays coming from deep space and to identify their wavelengths with unprecedented precision.
• It will use state-of-the-art spectroscopy to measure changes in the brightness of celestial objects at different wavelengths.
• It detects X-rays with energies ranging from 400 to 12,000 electron volts. (For comparison, the energy of visible light is 2 to 3 electron volts.)
• This range will provide astrophysicists with new information about some of the universe's hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity.

Future Moon Missions

• ISRO (India): LUPEX with JAXA, Chandrayaan-4
• NASA (USA): Lunar Trailblazer Mission, Viper Rover, Artemis 2-6 (Manned mission).
• ROSCOSMOS (Russia): LUNA 26-28, ORYOL
• CNSA (China): Chang'e 6-8
• JAXA (Japan): Destiny+

Q1) What is Robotics?

It is a branch of engineering and computer science that involves the conception, design, manufacture and operation of robots. The objective of the robotics field is to create intelligent machines that can assist humans in a variety of ways. Robotics can take on a number of forms.

Source: Japan becomes 5th country to land on the Moon

About Indian Tectonic Plate

• It is a minor tectonic plate located in the north east hemisphere.
• It is bound by four major tectonic plates. North of the Indian plate is the Eurasian plate; to the south east is the Australian plate; to the south-west is the African plate; and to the west is the Arabian plate. 
  • As the Indian plate is moves northward relative to the Eurasian plate and collides with it, a convergent boundary is created.
  • On the opposite side, the Indo-African boundary is divergent.
  • The western Indo-Arabian boundary is lateral relative to each other, giving rise to a transform boundary.
  • It was previously thought that the Indian and Australian plates formed one single plate as there is no clear type of boundary but recent seismologic evidence suggests that the two plates will have a transform boundary, as the drift velocities of these two plates are different even if the general direction of motion of the two plates is similar.
• The collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate about 50 million years ago resulted in the erection of the Himalayan Mountains.
• As the Indian plate is still active today and drifts at a velocity of about 5 cm per year, earthquakes occur in the northern part of the plate.
• Because of the low-grade metamorphism that resulted in the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate, many micaceous minerals are mined in the northern part of the country; in fact, India is the greatest producer of mica blocks and splitting. 

Q1) What is Plate Tectonics?

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into large slabs of solid rock, called “plates,” that glide over Earth's mantle, the rocky inner layer above Earth’s core. Earth’s solid outer layer, which includes the crust and the uppermost mantle, is called the lithosphere. Below the lithosphere is the asthenosphere — a viscous layer kept malleable by heat deep within the Earth. It lubricates the undersides of Earth's tectonic plates, allowing the lithosphere to move around. 

Source: Indian tectonic plate is breaking into two. It's happening beneath Tibet

About Guidelines for Registration and Regulation of Coaching Center 2024

• According to the guideline, a ‘coaching center’ includes a center established, run, or administered by any person to provide coaching for any study programme, competitive examinations, or academic support to students at the school, college, and university level for more than 50 students.
• Guidelines:
  • Registration process:
    • Coaching centers are required to submit applications for registration to the competent authority within their local jurisdiction, complying with specified forms, fees, and document requirements outlined by the appropriate government.
    • Notably, if a coaching center has multiple branches, each branch is considered a separate entity, necessitating individual registration.
  • Marketing Standards:
    • Coaching centers must refrain from making misleading promises or guarantees regarding ranks or marks to attract parents and students.
    • Transparency is emphasized, with coaching centers mandated to maintain an updated website containing information on tutors' qualifications, courses, curriculum details, duration, hostel facilities, and fees.
  • Student Enrolment: Students below the age of 16 are not permitted to enroll, and entry is allowed only after the completion of secondary school examinations.
  • Fee Structure:
    • Tuition fees for various courses must be fair and reasonable, with detailed receipts provided.
    • A comprehensive prospectus, displayed prominently, should include information on courses, duration, classes, tutorials, hostel facilities, fees, exit policies, and fee refund procedures.
    • Any fee increase during the course duration is strictly prohibited. This applies to both course fees and hostel-related charges.
  • Exit Policy: In the case of mid-course withdrawals, a pro-rata refund is mandated within 10 days.
  • Infrastructure Requirements:
    • Coaching centers must allocate a minimum of one square meter per student in each class.
    • Adherence to fire safety and building codes, along with obtaining Fire and Building Safety Certificates, is compulsory.
    • Proper electrification, ventilation, lighting arrangements, and security measures are essential.
    • The coaching center should also be equipped with CCTV cameras, a first aid kit, and medical assistance.
  • Study hours:
    • Classes should not coincide with school hours to ensure regular attendance.
    • Weekly offs for both students and tutors are mandatory.
    • Class sizes should align with maintaining a healthy teacher-student ratio.
  • Mental wellbeing of students: 
    • Coaching centers should establish a mechanism for immediate intervention to provide targeted and sustained assistance to students in distress and stressful situations.
    • The competent authority may take steps to ensure that a counselling system is developed by the coaching centre and is easily available for the students and parents.
  • Complaint Mechanism:
    • Students, parents, or coaching center tutors/employees can file complaints against coaching centers, and coaching centers can file complaints against students/parents.
    • These complaints will be resolved within thirty days by the competent authority or an inquiry committee established for this purpose by the appropriate government.
  • Penalty: If the coaching center breaches any terms or conditions of registration or general requirements, it will face penalties: ₹25,000 for the first violation, Rs 1 lakh for a second offense, and registration revocation for subsequent breaches. 

Q1) What Is Pro Rata?

Pro rata is a Latin term used to describe a proportionate allocation. It essentially translates to "in proportion," which means a process where whatever is being allocated will be distributed in equal portions. If something is given out to people on a pro rata basis, it means assigning an amount to one person according to their share of the whole.

Source: New rules for coaching centres: Here is what parents and students should know about fees, study hours, penalties, minimum area

About Tomahawk Missile

• It is a US-made long-range cruise missile used for deep-land attack warfare.
• It can be launched from a ship or submarine and deliver its warhead precisely to a target at a long range.
• It flies at low altitudes to strike fixed targets, such as communication and air-defense sites, in high-risk environments where manned aircraft may be vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles.
• Features:
  • It is designed to fly at subsonic speed while maintaining a low altitude, making it difficult to detect on radar.
  • It uses tailored guidance systems to manoeuvre at such low elevations.
  • It has an accuracy of about 5 meters (16 feet).
  • The 6-meter (18.4-foot) long missile has a range of up to 2,400 km (1,500 miles) and can travel as fast as 885 km (550 miles) per hour.
  • Tomahawks are launched vertically from ships, but they can be launched horizontally from torpedo tubes on attack submarines or from external launchers attached to a submarine’s hull.
  • Propulsion: It is powered by a solid propellant during its launch phase. Thereafter, it is powered by a turbofan engine that does not emit much heat, which makes infrared detection difficult.
  • It uses satellite-assisted navigation and TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) radar to guide it to a target.
  • It is capable of twisting and turning like a radar-evading fighter plane, skimming the landscape at an altitude of only 30–90 metres (100–300 feet).
  • It can carry either conventional or nuclear payloads.

Q1) What is a cruise missile?

Cruise missiles are unmanned vehicles that are propelled by jet engines, much like an airplane. They can be launched from ground, air, or sea platforms. Cruise missiles remain within the atmosphere for the duration of their flight and can fly as low as a few meters off the ground. Flying low to the surface of the earth expends more fuel but makes a cruise missile very difficult to detect. 

Source: Japan Inks Deal To Buy 400 Long-Range Missiles From US

About Caddisflies

• Caddisflies are moth-like insects that are attracted to lights at night and live near lakes or rivers. 
• Distribution: They are found worldwide, usually in freshwater habitats but sometimes in brackish and tidal waters.
• Features:
  • Adult caddisflies are commonly 3 to 15 millimetres in length. 
  • Like all insects, caddisflies have 6 legs, 2 antennae, and 3 body parts. 
  • Generally dull brownish, adult caddisflies resemble moths, with hairy wings and long antennae, but caddisflies do not have the long siphoning mouthparts that butterflies and moths have. 
  • Caddisflies hold their wings tent-like over their bodies when they are not flying.
  • Like stoneflies, mayflies, and dobsonflies, immature caddisflies are aquatic, living in streams and lakes.
  • Caddisfly larvae look similar to the larvae of mayflies, aquatic beetles, and other aquatic insects, but can usually be distinguished by the presence of a "case."
• Most caddisfly larvae construct and live in a protective case made from small pebbles, twigs, or other debris. The larvae build these cases using silk produced from glands in their moths.
  • They feed primarily on plant juices and flower nectar, though a few are predaceous. 
• Importance:
  • Caddisflies are a vital component of aquatic ecosystems. The insects play a crucial role in the food chain.
  • Not only do they serve as a primary food source for various fish species, they also contribute to water purification by filtering algae and other potentially problematic organisms.

Q1) What are moths?

Moths and butterflies are insects which together form the order called Lepidoptera, meaning 'scaly-winged'. The patterns and colours of their wings are formed by thousands of tiny scales, overlapping like tiles on a roof. 

Source: BGSBU Researchers Discover New Caddisfly Species

About the Khelo India Youth Games- 2023

• Tamil Naduis hosting the sixth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games. This is the first time that Khelo India Youth Games are being held in South India.
• The Games will be played across four cities of Tamil Nadu, namely Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore from 19th to 31st January 2024.
• This edition of Khelo India Youth Games will see participation from over 5600 athletes with over 275 competitive events across 26 sports disciplines and 1 demo sport.
• Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in the history of Khelo India Youth Games and the sport of Squash shall be organised for the first time in this edition of the Games.
• The Mascot:'Veera Mangai'. Rani Velu Nachiyar, fondly known as Veera Mangai, was an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule.
• The logo: The figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.

Background

• Objective: To revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation.
• It is an annual event. The first edition was held in 2018 in Delhi.
• Organised by: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. 

Q1) Who was Rani Velu Nachiyar,?

She was the first queen to have ever actively opposed British rule and fought against colonial rulers many years before the Sepoy Mutiny. She was trained in war to match weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam (fighting using the stick), horse riding and archery. 

Source: PM inaugurates opening ceremony of the Khelo India Youth Games 2023

About Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

• The awards are given to children in the age group 5 – 18 years for their excellence in seven categories for Bravery, Art & Culture, Environment, Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service and Sports.
• Objective: Encourage children who had shown exceptional achievement in any field including academics, arts, culture and sports etc.
• The two categories covered under these Awards are as follows:
  • Bal Shakti Puraskar (earlier called National Child Award) –
    • These awards are to be given as recognition to children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of innovation, scholastic achievements, sports, arts & culture, social service and bravery which deserves recognition.
    • Each awardee will be given a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/-, book vouchers worth Rs. 10,000/-, a certificate and citation.
  • Bal Kalyan Puraskar (earlier called National Child Welfare Award)
    • Individual- These Awards are given as recognition to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution towards service for children in the field of Child Development, Child Protection and Child Welfare for not less than 7 years and have a positive impact on the lives of children.
    • The number of awards would be three. The award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 1, 00,000/ - (one lakh), a citation and a certificate to each awardee.
    • Institution- These awards are given to institutions who have done exceptional work for the cause of children in any field of child welfare. The number of awards wouldbe three.
    • The award for institution consists of a prize of Rs. 5,00,000/ - each and a citation and a certificate.

Q1) What is Technology?

It is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment.

Source: President of India to confer Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

About the Nagara style

• Nagara architecture is a classical architecture of temple design in northern India, contrasted with Dravida architecture in southern India.
• Nagara temples have a shikhara (mountain peak) over the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum), a circumambulatory passage around it, and one or more mandapas (halls).
• Shikhara is a symbolic representation of the cosmic order and the divine presence.
• There are five modes of shikhara design: Valabhi, Phamsana, Latina, Shekhari, and Bhumija.
  • Valabhi and Phamsana are Early Nagara modes, derived from barrel-roofed wooden structures.
  • Latina is a single, slightly curved tower with four equal sides, ominant for three centuries.
  • Shekhari and Bhumija are composite Latinas with attached sub-spires or miniature spires, creating a complex and ornate appearance.
• These modes are scholastic classifications, not rigid categories. There is much variation and innovation within and across these modes.

Q1) What is shikhara?

In North Indian temple architecture, the superstructure, tower, or spire above the sanctuary and also above the pillared mandapas (porches or halls); it is the most dominant and characteristic feature of the Hindu temple in the north.

Source: What is the Nagara style, in which Ayodhya’s Ram temple is being built