DefConnect 2024: Raksha Mantri launches ADITI scheme to promote innovations in critical & strategic defence technologies

About ADITI Scheme:

• Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) is a scheme to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.
• Aim: It aims to develop about 30 deep-tech critical and strategic technologies in the proposed timeframe.
• Eligibility: Under this scheme start-ups are eligible to receive grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development and innovation endeavours in defence technology. 
• Time period: This scheme worth Rs 750 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26.
• It falls under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) framework of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.
• It also envisages to create a ‘Technology Watch Tool’ to bridge the gap between the expectations and requirements of the modern Armed Forces and the capabilities of the defence innovation ecosystem.
• In the first edition of ADITI, 17 challenges – Indian Army (3), Indian Navy (5), Indian Air Force (5) and Defence Space Agency (4) - have been launched.
• To motivate young innovators, iDEX was expanded to iDEX Prime, with the assistance increasing from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 crore.

Tripura’s traditional tribal attire ‘risa’ gets GI tag

About Risa Textile:

• It is a handwoven cloth used as a female upper garment and also as headgear, a stole, or a present to express respect.
• It is woven in colourful designs and has a crucial social and religious significance.
• Adolescent Tripuri girls are first given a risa to wear in an event called Risa Sormani, around age 12 to 14.
• Religious relevance: The risa is used in religious festivals such as Garia Puja by tribal communities, a turban by men during weddings and festivals, a cummerbund over the dhoti, a head scarf by young girls and boys and a muffler during winters.
• It is presented as a mark of honour to distinguished recipients.
• Risa is common in almost all 19 indigenous tribal communities of Tripura.
• The traditional Tripuri female attire consists of three parts — risa, rignai and rikutu.
• Risa is a handwoven cloth used as a female upper garment.
• Rignai is primarily worn as the lower garment and literally means ‘to wear’.
• Rituku is mainly used as a wrap, or like a ‘chunri’ or a ‘pallu’ of the Indian saree. It is also used to cover the heads of newly married Tripuri women.
• The complete Tripuri attire is claimed to have originated even before the time of the Manikya kings, who ruled Tripura for over 500 years starting from the 15th century. 

DoT has launched Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) for Coordination Among the Stakeholders to Curb Misuse of Telecom Resources in Cyber-crime and Financial Fraud

About Digital Intelligence Platform:

• It is developed by the Department of Telecommunications.
• It is a secure and integrated platform for real time intelligence sharing, information exchange and coordination among the stakeholders, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), law enforcement agencies (LEAs), banks and financial institutions (FIs), social media platforms, identity document issuing authorities etc.
• The portal also contains information regarding the cases detected as misuse of telecom resources.
• The shared information could be useful to the stakeholders in their respective domains.
• It also works as backend repository for the citizen-initiated requests on the Sanchar Saathi portal for action by the stakeholders.
• The DIP is accessible to the stakeholders over secure connectivity and the relevant information is shared based on their respective roles. The said platform is not accessible to citizens.

What is Chakshu?

• It is the latest addition to the citizen centric facilities already available on the Sanchar Saathi portal of DoT.
• It facilitates citizens to report suspected fraud communication received over call, SMS or WhatsApp with the intention of defrauding like KYC expiry or update of bank account/payment wallet/SIM/gas connection/electricity connection, sextortion, impersonation as government official/relative for sending money, disconnection of all mobile numbers by Department of Telecommunications etc.
• In case, a citizen is already a victim of cyber-crime or financial fraud, it is advised to report at cyber-crime helpline number 1930 or website https://www.cybercrime.gov.in of Government of India.

NASA satellite captures ‘odd holes’ in clouds caused by aeroplanes.

About Cavum clouds:

• These clouds are also known as “hole-punch clouds or fallstreak holes.”
• How are Cavum clouds formed?
• These are form when aeroplanes pass through layers of altocumulus clouds, which are mid-level clouds containing supercooled water droplets (water below freezing temperature but still in liquid form).
• As the aircraft moves through, a process known as adiabatic expansion can cause the water droplets to freeze into ice crystals.
• These ice crystals eventually become too heavy and fall out of the cloud layer, creating a hole in the clouds.
• They are formed when planes pass through at a relatively steep angle.

What are Altocumulus clouds?

• These are typically found in groups or heaps clumped together.
• They’re found in the middle layer of the troposphere, lower than cirrocumulus and higher than their cumulus and stratocumulus counterparts.
• The term mackerel sky is also common to altocumulus (and cirrocumulus) clouds that display a pattern resembling fish scales.

India finally entering stage II of its nuclear programme.

About Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor:

• It is a machine that produces more nuclear fuel than it consumes.
• Fuel: The Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) will initially use the Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.
• The Uranium-238 “blanket” surrounding the fuel core will undergo nuclear transmutation to produce more fuel, thus earning the name ‘Breeder’.
• The use of Throium-232, which in itself is not a fissile material, as a blanket is also envisaged in this stage.
• By transmutation, Thorium will create fissile Uranium-233 which will be used as fuel in the third stage.
• Coolant: It uses liquid sodium, a highly reactive substance, as coolant in two circuits. Coolant in the first circuit enters the reactor and leaves with (heat) energy and radioactivity. Via heat-exchangers, it transfers only the heat to the coolant in a secondary circuit. The latter transfers the heat to generators to produce electricity.
• It has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI).
• In terms of safety, the PFBR is an advanced third generation reactor with inherent passive safety features ensuring a prompt and safe shut down of the plant in the event of an emergency. 
• Significance:
• Since it uses the spent fuel from the first stage, FBR also offers great advantage in terms of significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities.
• Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercial operating Fast Breeder Reactor.
• FBR is thus a stepping stone for the third stage of the program paving the way for the eventual full utilization of India’s abundant thorium reserves.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Inaugurate Key Infrastructure at Naval Base Karwar for Project Seabird Expansion

About Project Seabird:

• The largest naval infrastructure project for India, it involves creation of a naval base at Karwar, Karnataka, on the west coast of India. 
• History:
• In the post-Indo-Pak War of 1971 scenario, India learned that the Indian Navy needs an additional naval base since Mumbai Harbour faced congestion, which led to security issues for its Western Fleet. 
• It was initially sanctioned in 1985, and the foundation stone was laid on October 24, 1986, by Rajiv Gandhi.
• This is a massive project with the first sealift facility in the country and a transfer system for docking and undocking ships and submarines.
• Its first phase, which included the construction of a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship lift, was commissioned in 2005.
• The development of phase 2 of INS Kadamba commenced in 2011.
• This phase is further divided into 2A and 2B. It was planned to expand the facilities to dock additional warships and a new Naval Air Station, among other projects. 
• Once completed, it will be the largest naval base in the Eastern Hemisphere. It will be able to accommodate around 32 warships, 23 submarines and hangers for several aircraft.