PAIR Program

Context: The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced the selection of PAIR Networks under its flagship initiative, the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) Program.

About the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) Program

• Aim: To strengthen India’s higher education and research ecosystem by nurturing innovation, building research capacity and promoting excellence across regions.
• Framework: The PAIR Program is designed  in a mentorship mode to pair nascent research universities with well-established top-tier research institutions in a hub and spoke model.
• Approach:  
• • Each PAIR network should consist of a hub and 3 to 7 spoke institutions.
  • Each spoke institution should involve multiple departments and faculty members 
• Thematic Areas: Research proposals can be in both basic as well as applied sciences, engineering and interdisciplinary research at the interface of science, engineering and social sciences.
• Funding: A maximum of Rs 100 Cr for five years per PAIR network would be considered depending on the research theme, number of spokes
  • The budget distribution for Hub and Spoke shall follow a 30:70 ratio.

About The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)

• Established: The ANRF was established with Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) 2023 Act as recommended by  the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• Aim: To seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s scientific landscape.

The Pinnapuram Integrated Renewable Energy Project

Context: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy & Consumer Affairs visited the Pinnapuram Integrated Renewable Energy Project  Near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.

About the Pinnapuram Project

• Developed by : Greenko
• Components:
  • 4000 MW of Solar Power
  • 1000 MW of Wind Power
  • 1680 MW of Pumped Hydro Power
• Storage Capacity: 10,080 MWh per day (in a single cycle).
• It is conceived as the world’s largest Gigawatt Scale integrated project with solar, wind and pumped storage components.

NISAR Mission

Context: The long-awaited NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Satellite) mission may finally be launched in June 2025.

About NISAR

• The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a collaborative Earth-observing satellite project between NASA and ISRO. 
• Orbit and Launch Vehicle: The satellite will be launched into low Earth orbit using ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV-II). 
• Aim: To study global environmental changes, natural hazards, and ecosystem disturbances using advanced radar imaging.
• Dual-Band Radar Mission: NISAR is the first satellite mission that will collect radar data in two microwave bandwidth ranges:
• • L-band (1-2 GHz, commonly used for satellite communication and remote sensing) and L-band payload is made by the U.S. 
  • S-band (2-4 GHz, commonly used for satellite communication and weather monitoring). S-band payload has been made by the ISRO
• Radar Technology for Earth Imaging: ‘SAR’ (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a remote-sensing technology that uses radar to capture high-resolution images of the Earth.
  • It can penetrate clouds and vegetation to generate accurate data.
• Collaboration: 
  • NASA will provide the L-band radar, GPS, and data communication systems .
  • ISRO will provide the S-band radar, spacecraft bus, and launch vehicle .
  • Data will be freely available to the global scientific community.

Guindy National Park

Context: A neglected grassland habitat within the Guindy National Park, known as the Polo Ground, is now set for restoration to support the blackbuck population. 

About the Guindy National Park

• Location & Size:  Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Biodiversity: it is home to blackbucks, spotted deer, jackals, pangolins, and over 130 bird species. 
  • It also acts as a green lung for Chennai, preserving urban wildlife.

About the Blackbuck

• The Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is a species of antelope native to India and Nepal.
• The blackbuck is a diurnal animal (active mainly during the day).
• Habitat: They inhabit grassy plains and thin forest areas with easily available water resources.
• Protection status:
• • IUCN Red List: Least concerned.
  • Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I

Operation ATALANTA

Context: The commander of the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA, has proposed a joint exercise with the Indian Navy on his visit to India.

About Operation ATALANTA

• Beginning: It was launched  in 2008 
• Focus: The operation primarily focused on preventing piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
• Area of Operation: The Operation ATALANTA primarily operates in the Western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea
• Authority: The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR)
• Headquarters: It  is located at Naval Station Rota (NAVSTA Rota) in Spain

Lucy Spacecraft

Context: NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is set to fly past the asteroid Donaldjohanson this weekend, marking an important step in its mission to explore ancient space rocks.

The asteroid is 139 million miles away from Earth, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

It is named after the scientist who discovered the Lucy fossil.

What is the Lucy Spacecraft?

• Launched by:  NASA in 2021 
• Aim: To study asteroids that have been around since the early days of the solar system.
• These asteroids are like fossils in space, helping scientists understand how planets like Earth formed.
• Named after the “Lucy” fossil, a 3.2-million-year-old human ancestor found in Ethiopia.

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