- TV-D1 Mission: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its first-ever test flight, TV-D1, for the Gaganyaan mission, marking a pivotal moment in India’s pursuit of human spaceflight. Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) will evaluate the crew module’s readiness for the Gaganyaan mission. It is a single-stage liquid rocket developed specifically for this abort mission. The payloads consist of the Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape Systems (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors, along with CM fairing (CMF) and Interface Adapters. This flight will simulate the abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 encountered in the Gaganyaan mission.
- Niemann-Pick Disease: It is a rare genetic disorder in which sphingomyelin accumulate in lysosomes inside cells. This disease involves dysfunctional metabolism of sphingolipids. The three most commonly recognized forms are Niemann-Pick Types A and B and Type C.
This disease can affect the brain, nerves, liver, spleen, bone marrow and, in severe cases, lungs. People with this condition experience symptoms related to progressive loss of function of nerves, the brain and other organs. It can occur at any age but mainly affects children. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene, must be defective to cause the disease. Most often, the parents of a child with an autosomal recessive disorder are carriers: they have one copy of the altered gene, but are not affected because the other copy produces the enzyme. If both parents are carriers, each pregnancy has a 25% chance of producing an affected child. Symptoms include: Enlargement of the liver and spleen, Low levels of platelets in the blood, Slurring of speech, Difficulty in swallowing, Abnormal posturing of the limbs, trunk, and face, Voluntary rapid eye movements, Gradual loss of intellectual abilities, causing dementia and seizures.
- Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR): APAAR, dubbed ‘One Nation, One Student ID’, is an Education Ecosystem Registry, or an ‘EduLocker’. The APAAR will give each student enrolled from pre-primary to higher education, a unique identification number. This will be in addition to the already existing Aadhaar ID that every individual has. Upon enrolling in APAAR, each student’s identity will be authenticated through their Aadhaar ID or other officially recognised documents, and a distinct identification number will be generated for them. The APAAR, or EduLocker will be a lifelong ID number for students for seamless tracking of their academic journey and achievements. They will be able to digitally store their exam results, learning outcomes, co-curricular achievements such as ranking in Olympiads or receiving specialised skill training, and much more. Transcripts, certificates, and other academic achievements may be easily stored and accessed by students, boosting their capacity to apply for employment, scholarships, or higher education opportunities. In addition to that, students transferring from one school to another will face less hassle in obtaining admission to a new institution in any part of the country. It would make it easier for authorities, educational boards, and institutions to track student progress, monitor performance, and assess the effectiveness of education policies. It will also help government agencies monitor dropouts.
The enrolment process will be carried out by the school with the consent of their parents, who will also be able to withdraw their consent at any given point of time. The government assured that the data will be shared only with concerned government agencies if and when required.
