Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) & Indian Army conducted successful trials of indigenous Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile Weapon System (MPATGM).

Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System:

• Indigenously Developed: MPATGM Weapon System is indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Comprises: The system consisted of the MPATGM, Launcher, Target Acquisition System, and the Fire Control Unit.
• Strike Range: 2.5 km
• Significance: Penetration trials of the Tandem Warhead System of MPATGM have been successfully completed.
• It is found capable of defeating modern armour protected Main Battle Tank.
• The ATGM system is well-equipped with day/night and top attack capability.
• Dual mode seeker functionality is a great value addition to the missile capability for tank warfare.
• It is an important step towards achieving self-reliance in advanced technology-based defence system development.

Defence Research & Development Organisation:

• Establishment: It is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
• Vision: To empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies.
• Mission:To achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems.
• Equipping armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with requirements laid down by the three Services.

Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs):

• ATGMs are primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles.
• The missiles can be transported by a single soldier, to larger tripod-mounted weapons, which require a squad or team to transport and fire, to vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems.
• These are ‘fire-and-forget’ missiles where the operator can retreat right after firing as there is no more guidance required.

Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM):

• It is an indigenously developed low weight, fire and forgets missile.
• It is ‘Soft’ launched from a canister using an Ejection Motor. It uses a state-of-the-art Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker system for homing on to the target.
• IIR Seeker systems have been successfully flight tested in Anti-Tank Guided Missiles Nag, HELINA and MPATGM. IIR Seekers have also been successfully demonstrated in the Exo-Atmospheric Interceptor PDV and Anti Satellite Test (ASAT), Mission Shakti.
• It uses the infrared light emission from a target to track and follow it.
• Missiles that use infrared seeking are known as “heat-seekers” since infrared is radiated strongly by hot bodies.
• This missile is for infantry and Parachute (Special Forces) of the Indian Army.

Siachen: 40 years of Operation Meghdoot.

Operation Meghdoot:

• Background: By 1984, Pakistan’s cartographic aggression in the uncharted territory of Ladakh, allowing foreign mountaineering expeditions in Siachen, was becoming a cause of concern.
• To prevent an impending Pakistani military action in the area, India decided to thwart Pakistan’s efforts to legitimize its claim on Siachen.
• Operation Meghdoot: It was launched by the Indian Army to secure strategic heights on Siachen with the deployment of troops.
• The operation involved the airlifting of Indian Army soldiers by the IAF and dropping them on the glacial peaks.
• Although the operation began in 1984, IAF helicopters were already operating in the Siachen Glacier since 1978, flying the Chetak helicopters which was the first IAF helicopter to land in the Glacier in  October 1978.
• Positioning of Troops: About 300-odd troops were positioned on the strategically important peaks and passes of the glacier.
• By the time the Pakistan army reacted by advancing its own troops, the Indian Army occupied strategically crucial mountain peaks and passes, thereby gaining a tactical advantage.
• IAF’s Role and Evolution in Operation Meghdoot: The IAF played a crucial role in supporting Operation Meghdoot, initially focusing on transport and helicopter aircraft for troop and material transport.
• Gradually, the IAF expanded its role, deploying fighter aircraft like the Hunter, MiG-23s, and MiG-29s, operating from high-altitude airfields at Leh and Thoise.
• This expanded role included fighter sweeps and simulated strikes over the glacier, boosting morale and deterring adversaries.
• In 2009, the IAF inducted Cheetal helicopters, re-engineered for high-altitude operations, and in 2013, showcased its capabilities by landing a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules at Daulat Beg Oldie.
• Daulat Beg Oldie is the world’s highest airstrip near the line of actual control in Ladakh.

Significance of Operation Meghdoot:

• Technological Progress and Infrastructure Development: Over the last four decades, significant efforts have been made to enhance infrastructure and habitat on the Siachen Glacier.
• Example-Introduction of VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) technology has revolutionized communication on the glacier providing troops with crucial data and internet connectivity.
• Enhanced Supply Chain and Logistics: The introduction of heavy-lift helicopters and logistic drones significantly improved the supply of essential resources to personnel stationed at isolated posts, especially during harsh winter conditions.
• This includes ensuring the availability of clothing, mountaineering equipment, and rations.
• Improved Living Conditions and Connectivity: Recent initiatives have focused on improving connectivity, leading to advancements in the supply chain.
• State-of-the-Art Medical Infrastructure: The Siachen Glacier now has state-of-the-art medical infrastructure, including telemedicine nodes established by ISRO.
• These facilities provide critical medical support not only to troops but also to the local populace and tourists in the Nubra Valley.

Siachen Glacier:

• Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends.
• The 75 km long Siachen Glacier in the north of Nubra valley has the distinction of being the largest glacier outside the polar and the subpolar regions.
• It is also the world’s highest battlefield.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and Persons with Disabilities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Home Voting Facility:

• The provision of home voting is a progressive measure aimed at empowering voters who encounter barriers to participating in the electoral process at the polling stations.
• Vote From Home for a ‘Notified class of Electors’: ( A Postal Ballot Voting )
• It is the facility provided by the Election Commission of India to Absentee Voters, which is categorized to vote from home.
• Eligibility: Under Rule 27A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 has been amended to provide the optional postal ballot facility to ‘Absentee Voters’.

‘Absentee voter’ has been defined in clause (aa) of Rule-27A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and includes

• Persons employed in essential services
• Senior citizens above 85 years
• Persons with Disabilities (with 40% benchmark or above disability)
• COVID-19 suspect or affected persons .

• By extending this optional facility to these segments of the voters, the Election Commission recognizes the need to ensure that citizens’ right to vote is not encumbered by physical barriers and disabilities.
• This upholds the Commission’s motto of ensuring - No voter is left behind.

Procedure:

• After completing all the required steps to avail the facility a dedicated team of polling officials, accompanied by security personnel, visits the voter''s residence to collect their votes.
• Voters are informed in advance of the scheduled visit, enabling them to prepare to exercise their voting rights in a secure and comfortable manner.
• The complete process is videographed for transparency.

Other Steps by ECI to make voting inclusive:

• Systematic Voters'' Education and Electoral Participation program (SVEEP): It is the flagship program of the ECI for voter education, spreading voter awareness and promoting voter literacy in India.
• Proposed Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM): It aims to allow migrant voters to cast their votes from their current place of residence.
• Postal ballot: Permits voting by post for special voters, service voters, voters on election duty, and electors under preventive detention.
• Service voters: Members of the armed forces, Members of a state''s police force serving outside that state, Individuals employed by the Government of India in a post outside India, Members of a force subject to the Army Act, 1950.
• Proxy voting: Enables registered electors to delegate their voting rights to a representative, available for service voters.
• ‘Turning 18’ Campaign: ECI''s ''Turning 18'' campaign for the 18th Lok Sabha Elections targets young and first-time voters, aiming to boost their participation and address urban and youth apathy from past elections.

Guiding Principles for Accessibility:

• Article 324 of the Constitution provides for the Election Commission, its powers and functions for maintenance of the Electoral Roll and conduct of elections in a free and fair manner.
• Article 325 provides that no person shall be ineligible for inclusion in the electoral roll on the grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or anyone of these.
• Article 326 provides for the Universal Adult Suffrage to be the basis of elections.
• The Constitution and related laws mandate the ECI to ensure free, fair, and inclusive elections based on adult suffrage.

Gopi Thotakura to be the first Indian space tourist: What is space tourism?

Space tourism:

• Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes.
• There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism.
• The global space tourism market was worth USD 851.4 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 44.8% from 2024 to 2030.

Growth factors of  space tourism industry:

• Growing interest of adventure travelers and high net worth individuals in spaceflight.
• Increasing affordability of space travel and advancements in technology.
• Rising government initiatives and investments globally.
•  Advanced propulsion, materials, and manufacturing methods are creating safer, more efficient spacecraft.

Concerns:

• Space debris, affordability limited to wealthy, liability in accidents, health risks from microgravity and radiation.

Legal Framework:

• Outer Space Treaty (1967), Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, etc.

Who is Gopi Thotakura?

• Gopichand Thotakura, described by Blue Origin as an entrepreneur, is a pilot and aviator who learned to fly before he could drive.
• He is also the co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a wellness and applied health center based in Georgia.
• The Blue Origin NS-25 mission will be the first crewed flight for the fully-reusable New Shepard rocket since NS-22 in 2022.
• Besides Thotakura and Ed Dwight, the mission will include four other astronauts: Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, and Carol Schaller.

Whooping cough cases outbreak reported around the world.

Whooping cough:

• Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection only found in humans.

Causes:

• Caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which attaches to the cilia (tiny, hair-like extensions) in the upper respiratory system.

Symptoms:

• Initial symptoms include runny nose, nasal congestion, red watery eyes, in addition to the previously mentioned cold-like symptoms and low-grade fever.
• Severe coughing fits with the characteristic "whooping" sound can lead to vomiting, and in infants and young children, may cause sleep apnea.

Transmission:

• Spread easily from person to person through the air via droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• The bacteria produce toxins that damage the hair-like projections (cilia) that clear mucus and debris, leading to inflammation in the airways.

Prevention:

• Vaccination remains the most effective protection. In addition to the DTaP and Tdap vaccines, Mission Indradhanush in India provides immunization against whooping cough.
• Emphasis on hygiene and proper sanitation, such as regular handwashing and covering one's mouth and nose during coughing or sneezing, remains critical.
• Prompt medical checkup and adherence to antibiotic treatment if symptoms develop, alongside proper bed rest, are essential preventive measures.

How fast is the universe expanding? Scientists from Germany and the U.K. led with a radical explanation for the Hubble tension.

Hubble Tension:

• The "Hubble tension" refers to a discrepancy between the measurements of the rate of expansion of the universe, known as the Hubble constant.
• The Hubble constant, denoted as H0, describes the rate at which galaxies are moving away from each other due to the expansion of the universe.
• If a researcher wants to estimate the Hubble constant, they have two main avenues. These are the cosmic distance ladder and the cosmic microwave background (CMB).

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB):

• CMB is a sea of photons, the particles of light, present throughout the universe. They are left over from the Big Bang, its afterglow.
• Scientists have measured temperature changes in the CMB and studied its large-scale properties using complicated trigonometry.
• Based on these studies, cosmologists have estimated space to be expanding at around 68 kilometres per second per megaparsec ((km/s)/Mpc). That is, an object one megaparsec (3.26 million lightyears) away is moving away at 68 km/s)/Mpc.

Cosmic Distance Ladder:

• It is a set of techniques used to measure the distance to objects that are close, further away, or very far away from the earth. One object in particular is the Cepheid variable star.
• The Cepheid variables have a unique feature: their brightness varies in a predictable way over time.
• Based on how bright a Cepheid variable is, scientists can estimate how far away it is. Using this, cosmologists have estimated based on various Cepheid variables (and other such objects) is 73 (km/s)/Mpc.
• Thus, these measurements have yielded slightly different values for the Hubble constant. This discrepancy is known as the Hubble tension.
• The significance of the Hubble tension is that it could potentially indicate unknown physics or systematic errors in the measurements.
• Resolving the tension is crucial for refining our understanding of the universe's expansion and its underlying physics.