Diving Support Craft (DSC) Project: DSC A 20’ is built by M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL).They are 30 m long catamaran hull ships, with a displacement of approx 300 tons.
All five (05) DSCs are anticipated to be delivered to the Indian Navy in FY 2024-25.These crafts are being fitted with state-of-the-art diving equipment and tools for performing diving operations.These ships are designed to undertake operational/ training diving operations in harbours and coastal waters. These ships are indigenously designed and built under relevant Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The hydrodynamic analysis/ model testing of the ships during the design stage was undertaken at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.
Global Fund: Recently, the Global Fund announced a deal with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to significantly slash the price of a cutting-edge HIV drug. The Global Fund is a worldwide movement to defeat HIV, TB and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all. It was set up in 2002.Partners: Governments, civil society, health workers and the private sector. It raises funds on a three-year cycle, bringing longer-term predictability in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria. The funding primarily comes from the public sector, with 92% of total funding coming from donor governments. The remaining funding comes from the private sector, foundations and innovative financing initiatives. India joined the Global Fund as a donor in 2006 and pledged US$25 million for the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment, covering 2023-2025.
Adopt a Heritage 2.0 Scheme: It seeks to invite corporate stakeholders to enhance amenities at monuments by utilising their CSR funds. It is a revamped version of the earlier scheme launched in 2017. It clearly defines the amenities sought for different monuments as per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) 1958.
Interested stakeholders will be able to adopt a monument or specific amenities through a dedicated web portal at indian heritage.gov.in.The portal will provide them with comprehensive details about the monuments that are available for adoption, including gap analysis and estimated financial requirements.The selected stakeholders will develop, provide and or maintain amenities in hygiene, accessibility, safety and knowledge categories. In doing so, they will get an opportunity to be recognised as a responsible and heritage-friendly entity. The term of the appointment will be for a period of five years initially, which may be further extended up to five years.
RAMBHA-LP Payload: The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere – Langmuir Probe, named after American chemist and physicist Irving Langmuir, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. It is a device used for characterising a plasma. The probe operates without interruption, aiming to explore the changes occurring in the near-surface plasma environment throughout the lunar day. The device features a 5 cm metallic spherical probe mounted on a 1-metre boom attached to the Chandrayaan-3 lander’s upper deck. It was led by Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC),Thiruvananthapuram. The initial assessment indicates that the plasma near the lunar surface is relatively sparse. It is characterised by a number density ranging from approximately 5 to 30 million electrons per cubic meter.
