Oxygen Parlour inaugurated at Nashik Railway Station:

An Oxygen Parlour opened at Nashik railway station to combat air pollution.

Aim:

To provide an experience of breathing clean air to the commuters. The initiative comes with the efforts of the Air Guard in collaboration with the Indian Railways.

The Oxygen Parlour totally based on the recommendation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA conducted a study in which they identified some plants that better absorb the five most harmful pollutants from the air. The reach of this initiative and help improve the air quality across the country. The commuters at the railway station also commended the effort as a positive step towards combating air pollution in the cities across the country. This is a reasonable effort towards improving air quality. I think that there should be such parlors in all the polluted areas and railway station.

Nityanand Rai inaugurates DNA Analysis Centre at CFSL Chandigarh:

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai inaugurated a State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Centre at CFSL, Chandigarh. This new Advanced Forensic DNA Analysis Lab set up under the Nirbhaya Fund scheme with an allocation of Rs.99.76 crores. The State-of-the-art facility for 

• Sexual Assault and Homicide Unit 
• Paternity Unit 
• Human Identification Unit and
• Mitochondrial DNA Unit. 

Directorate of Forensic Science Services

DFSS ensured that this Centre fully equipped with modern DNA Profiling tools and equipment. The Advanced Forensic DNA Analysis facility capacity of examining 2000 cases per year. This facilitates a modern, responsive criminal justice system. The specialized training in the collection of forensic evidence undertaken by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).The highest priority to women safety in the country and apart from introducing stringent penalties in law several measures initiated in this regard include operationalization of 112 universal emergency services in 28 States/UTs of Safe City.

The Directorate of Forensic Science Services under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has set up Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFLs) in the country. These are situated at Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Chandigarh, Guwahati (Assam), Hyderabad (Telangana), Pune (Maharashtra), and Kolkata (West Bengal). The latest developments in basic sciences for forensic analysis and disseminate this information to the other Forensic Science Laboratories.About 200 invitees including Directors of Central and State FSL from the entire country, Senior Police/Judicial Officers, Professors, Doctors from various Universities/Hospitals, Senior Officers from the scientific organizations participated in this event.

NASA select site Nightingale for observation:

NASA has finally selected a sample collection site on asteroid Bennu after the arrival of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in December 2018. The OSIRIS-Rex mission team has selected the site designated Nightingale, which is located in a crater high in Bennu`s northern hemisphere. The team has also selected site Osprey of Bennu as a backup sample collection site.

Site-selection:

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft mapped the entire asteroid in order to identify the safest and most accessible spots for the spacecraft to collect a sample so far. The team evaluated close-range data from four candidate sites in order to identify the best option for the sample collection. After the complete study and analysis of the four candidate sites, the team selected a site that has the greatest amount of fine-grained material and how easily the spacecraft can access that material and keep the spacecraft safe. 

Site Nightingale:

Site Nightingale is located in a northern crater 460 feet wide of the asteroid. As per the observation, Nightingale`s regolith or rocky surface material is dark, and images show that the crater is relatively smooth.

As the site is located so far north, the temperatures in the region are lower than elsewhere on the asteroid and the surface material is well-preserved.

OSIRIS-REx sample collection has been scheduled for the latter half of 2020. The spacecraft is expected to return the asteroid samples to Earth on 24 September 2023.

Afghanistan recognizes Indian Pharmacopoeia:

The National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan organized the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP). Afghanistan became the first country to recognize IP pursuant to the efforts of the Department of Commerce, and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. It will also be used based on the requirement as reputable pharmacopoeia in the laboratory of medicines and health products quality.

Indian Pharmacopoeia:

♦ IP is an officially recognized book of standards as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules 1945 thereunder

♦ It specifies the standards of drugs manufactured and marketed in India in terms of their purity, identity, and strength

♦ It ensures the quality of medicinal products, the legal and scientific standards that are provided by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)

♦ The Second Schedule of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act designates IP as the official book of standards for drugs imported and/or manufactured for sale, stock or exhibition for sale or distribution in India.

ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1 with nine commercial satellites:

ISRO launched the RISAT-2BR1 satellite on 11 December 2019. India`s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launched RISAT-2BR1, the fiftieth flight (PSLV-C48), along with nine commercial satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.

RISAT-2BR1 was injected successfully into an orbit of 576 km. Also, nine commercial satellites were injected into their respective orbits. Along with this, the two solar arrays of RISAT-2BR1 were deployed automatically. The ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru has assumed the control of the satellite. It will be brought to the final operational configuration.

RISAT-2BR1:

♦ RISAT-2BR1 is a radar imaging satellite. 

♦ It is dubbed as a spy satellite. 

♦ The mission life span of RISAT-2BR1 is 5 years.

♦ The satellite weighs about 628 kg

♦ It can take pictures of the earth during day and night even under cloudy conditions. 

♦ The satellites will help monitor the border 24/7 along with checking infiltration

♦ It will keep an eye on terror or anti-national activities across the borders

♦ The satellite aims to provide services in the field of Forestry, Agriculture, and Disaster Management. 

♦ ISRO also plans to launch radar imaging satellite 2BR2 with synthetic aperture radar after the launch.