Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Rockets recovered from open well are from Tipu era: Experts

News

• A large number of unfired rockets, found in an open well at a farmhouse in Nagara village, Hosanagar taluk, have now been confirmed by experts to belong to the Tipu Sultan era.

Beyond News

• Assistant Director of the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, confirmed that 102 unused rockets were found in varying sizes in April 2017, during the de-silting of an open well on land belonging to Nagaraja Rao, a farmer from Nagara village.
• They concluded that these items were unused war rockets belonging to the 18th century. As Nagara was an important administrative centre of the Mysore state, and Tipu had established a mint and an armoury here, they concluded that the rockets belonged to the Tipu Sultan period.
• After the fourth Anglo-Mysore War, there was the chance that Tipu’s army, stationed in Nagara, could have dumped the rockets in the well to prevent them from getting into the hands of the East India Company.
• Both Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan had used rockets in the wars they fought against the East India Company. While wooden or paper casing was used for rockets back then, iron casing was used for the first time by the Mysore army.

Features of Rockets

• The distinctive feature of the rockets is that they are filled with black powder (a mixture of sulphur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate) and encased in iron. They are seven to 10 inches long and 1 to 3 inches in diameter.
• The rockets were corroded owing to continuous exposure to water.
• Using iron tubes to store the propellant gave the rockets higher thrust and longer range.
• In addition, using soft iron increased the capacity to inflict greater damage on the enemy.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

India admitted to Australia Group

News

• India joined the Australia Group saying that the membership will be mutually beneficial.

Beyond News

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India’s entry into the group which aims to prevent proliferation of biological and chemical weapons, will ensure a more secure world.
• The Australia Group decided to admit India as its 43rd participant.
• Its entry would be mutually beneficial and further contribute to international security and non-proliferation objectives.
• Australia Group said that, India’s membership will help to counter the “spread of materials, equipment and technologies that could contribute to the development or acquisition of chemical/biological weapons.
• Diplomats said the entry is a show of support from the international community for India’s non-proliferation records.
• India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016 and the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) last year.
• It is understood that the membership will also boost India’s membership bid for the Nuclear Suppliers Group which is being opposed by China.

Centre launches initiative to make 100 websites accessible to persons with disabilities

News

• In an initiative to empower Persons with Disabilities, 100 websites of various State Governments/UTs under Accessible India Campaign were launched by the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment on the occasion of ‘National Conference on Improving Accessibility’.

Aim

• The aim of the conference was to sensitize and bring awareness among different stakeholders including the officials of state government on accessibility in the context of recently enacted Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2016.
• The aim of the campaign is to make a barrier free environment for persons with disabilities all over the country for safe, dignified life of Persons with Disabilities.

Beyond News

• The Ministry has so far organised around 5800 camps for distribution of assistive device to Divyangjans.
• Accessible Website Design Principles include providing appropriate alternative text, Caption video, transcripts for audio, making all documents (e.g., PDFs) to be accessible and make sure content is structured, clearly written and easy to read.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) initiated a ‘Website Accessibility Project’ for State Government/Union Territories under Accessible India Campaign through ERNET India, an autonomous scientific society under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), to make total 917 websites accessible and providing funds for the same.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

The sun powers irrigation pump sets here

News

• The State government’s ambitious project ‘Surya Raitha’, which helps farmers to generate electricity to run their irrigation pump (IP) sets, was inaugurated at Harobele in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district in Karnataka.

Beyond News

• Surya Raitha, a first-of-its-kind project in the country, is being implemented on a pilot basis in the district.
• It also ensures earnings to farmers by selling excess energy generated through solar panels to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, he said.
• The government is committed to making Karnataka open defecation-free and supplying safe and pure drinking water in rural areas, Mr. Patil said.
• Minister for Energy said the State government was tapping renewable solar energy sources to increase the level of consumption of green energy in Karnataka.
• The department has set up the world’s largest solar park at Pavagada in Tumakuru district.
• Surya Raitha was implemented at a cost of ₹24 crore at Harobele. Currently, 310 IP sets are getting electricity under the scheme.

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