Current Affairs June 2014
India successfully launched PSLV C-23 with 5 satellites
India’s ANTRIX (ISRO’s commercial arm) successfully launched 5 foreign satellites from four countries on board PSLV-C23 rocket which placed them in orbit.
The rocket was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and was also witnessed by PM Narendra Modi.
ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C23 placed all five satellites into their respective orbits.
The rocket carried with it primary payload of 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7, 14 kg AISAT of Germany, NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15 kg and the 7 kg VELOX-1 of Singapore.
PM Modi extolled the efforts Indian space scientists and asked the space community to develop a SAARC satellite.
He referred to pictures showing rocket components being transported on bicycles.
- SPOT 7: French satellite, it will be part of the existing Earth observation satellite. It has been built by European space technology company Airbus Defence and Space.
- AISAT: German nano-satellite, to focus on the global sea-traffic monitoring system with special emphasis on high traffic zones using AIS signals.
- NLS 7.1 and NLS 7.2: Canadian satellite, they will perform Two-spacecraft precision formation flying using differential GPS with centimetre-level relative position and sub-metre level accurate position control system.
- VELOX-1: Singaporean satellite, it is a technology demonstrator for in-house design of image sensor, MEMS-based attitude determination and control system and inter-satellite RF link.
Saina Nehwal clinches Australian Open Super Series title
Star Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal defeated Spain’s Carolina Marin to win the $750,000 Star Australian Super Series title.
The 6th seeded Indian, who had clinched the India Open Grand Prix Gold earlier this year, dominated the contest throughout.
New Facelock Technology obviates the need to remember complex passwords
Researchers at the University of York in the U.K have developed a new technology named Facelock technology which provides an alternative to remembering complicated passwords.
Retaining complicated passwords has always been a difficult job for most people. There is also a risk of hacking if the passwords are kept too simple.
The new Facelock technology attempts to deal with these issues. It is based on human psychological trait of remembering familiar faces with close to 98% accuracy.
Facelock needs users to choose from a selection of faces that are well known to them. Then when they want to log in or get access to a secure system, a series of face grids is created, and users must select the familiar face in each grid.
As per researchers, it’s easy for users to select a familiar face from the crowd — but very difficult for others to hack, since none of the faces will stand out to them.
July 4 is the deadline for implementing Food Security Act
Adhering to its earlier decision of a 3-month extension to States and Union Territories to implement the National Food Security Act, the Union government’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is firm that the deadline for implementing the scheme is July 4, 2014. So far only 11 States have implemented the Act. 20 States and 5 Union Territories are yet to implement it.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal has urged the Centre to extend the July 4 deadline.
As per law the National Food Security Act has to be implemented within a year of its coming into force. West Bengal subsidized food grains were distributed among beneficiaries under several categories. But after the National Food Security Act is implemented in a State no such categories would exist.
The Ministry has clarified that if West Bengal does not implement the Act by the deadline, the several schemes in West Bengal under which food grains are distributed at a subsidized rate will not be stopped.
