Launch of Chandrayaan-2

Launch date and time: 22 July 2019 1443 hours

Launched from: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

Launch vehicle: GSLV MkIII-M1

Points to remember

1. Chandrayaan-2 injected into space after 16 minutes 14 seconds after lift-off
2. Weight of Chandrayaan-2 is 3840 kg.
3. The spacecraft has an elliptical orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 169.7 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 45,475 km.
4. Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon. The first was launched in 2008.
5. Chandrayaan-2 comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander.
6. It is expected to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019.
7. The life of Orbiter is one year, while the Rover will carry out experiments for 1 lunar day (14 earth days).
8. India will become the 4th country to make a soft landing on the moon.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan

Launched by: Union Jal Shakti Minister, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

What it is?: A campaign for water conservation and water security.

The campaign will run through citizen participation during the monsoon season, from 1st July, 2019 to 15th September, 2019. An additional Phase 2 will be run from 1st October, 2019 to 30th November, 2019 for States receiving the North East retreating monsoons.

The focus of the campaign will be on water stressed districts and blocks. Teams of officers from the central government will visit and work with district administration in 1592 water stressed blocks in 256 districts.

Campaign to ensure five important water conservation interventions.

1. Water conservation and rainwater harvesting,
2. Renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks,
3. Reuse,
4. Bore well recharge structures,
5. Watershed development and intensive afforestation.

New Governors

Shri Kalraj Mishra: Himachal Pradesh

Shri Acharya Devvrat: Gujarat

Shri Biswabhushan Harichandan: Andhra Pradesh

Smt Anusaiya Uikey: Chhattisgarh

Smt Anandiben Patel: Uttar Pradesh

Shri Fagu Chauhan: Bihar

Shri Lalji Tandon: Madhya Pradesh

AIFF Awards 2018-19

AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year: Sunil Chhetri

AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year: Ashalata Devi

AIFF Emerging Men’s Footballer of the Year: Abdul Sahal from Kerala

AIFF Emerging Women’s Footballer of the Year: Dangmei Grace from Manipur

Best Grassroots Development Programme: Jammu & Kashmir Football Association

STRIDE Scheme by UGC

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a new scheme - ‘Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy’ (STRIDE). Broadly, STRIDE will provide support to research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant.

STRIDE Objectives:

1. To identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research for India’s developing economy and national development.
2. To fund multi institutional network high-impact research projects in humanities and human sciences.

STRIDE components:

Component-1 will endeavour to identify the motivated young talents with research and innovation aptitude in universities and colleges. This component is open to all disciplines for grant upto 1 crore.

Component-2 will be mainly to enhance problem solving skills with help of social innovation and action research to improve wellbeing of people and contribute for India’s developing economy. Collaborations between universities, government, voluntary organizations and industries is encouraged under this scheme. This component is open to all disciplines for grant upto 50 lakh – 1 crore.

Component-3 will fund high impact research projects in the identified thrust areas inhumanities and human sciences through national network of eminent scientists from leading institutions. Disciplines eligible for funding under this component include: Philosophy, History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Psychology, Liberal Arts, Linguistics, Indian Languages and Culture, Indian Knowledge Systems, Law, Education, Journalism, Mass Communication, Commerce, Management, Environment and Sustainable Development. Grant available for this component is upto 1 crore for one HEI and upto 5 crores for multi institutional network.

An advisory Committee has been set up by the UGC under the chairmanship of Prof Bhushan Patwardhan, Vice Chairman to oversee the entire scheme.