GJ 367b: Astronomers discover Ultra Short Planet
The astronomers recently found GJ 367b, a small planet that is circling a dim red dwarf star. The star is 31 light years away from the sun.
GJ 367b
- The GJ 367b is a rocky planet. It is 70% the size of the earth. And it is 55% the mass of the earth. This makes GJ 367b one of the lightest known exoplanets.
- The planet completes its orbit in 7.7 hours. Thus, it is called the Ultra Short Period Planet.
- The planet is dominated by an iron core. It is because of this reason the planet has high density.
- The planet has a disproportionately large core. The core is made of iron and nickel. This particular property of the planet is similar to Mercury. Also, it is this property of Mercury that differentiates it from the rest of the planets in solar system.
TESS and HARP
- TESS is Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. The GJ 367b was identified using the data provided by TESS. TESS revealed the super short orbital period of GJ 367b.
- Also, HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher) helped the researchers to calculate the mass of the planet. HARPS is an instrument installed on a 3.6 metre telescope located in European Southern Observatory in Chile.
SRESHTA Scheme: Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas
The Government of India is to launch SRESTHA Scheme for the Scheduled Caste students. The scheme will provide quality residential education to the students.
Key Features
- The scheme is to be implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- It targets the meritorious students of Scheduled Caste. It will also help to control the drop out of students from courses 9 to 12.
- The scheme will provide high quality residential schooling.
- To implement the scheme, NITI Aayog has recognized reputed non – public residential facilities in aspirational districts.
- The GoI has estimated that the scheme implementation will require Rs 300 crores.
- The scheme is expected to help more than 24,800 students in next five years.
Scheme to be launched on Mahaparinirvan Divas
The death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, the Father of Indian Constitution, is celebrated as Mahaparinirvan Divas in the country. It falls on December 6. The SRESHTA Scheme is to be launched on this day.
Scheme a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
The scheme is to be launched as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. It is a GoI initiative to celebrate 75 years of independence. The celebrations under the programme was started in March 2021 and it is to go on till 15th August 2022
SRESHTA Scheme: Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas
The Government of India is to launch SRESTHA Scheme for the Scheduled Caste students. The scheme will provide quality residential education to the students.
Important points
- The scheme is to be implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- It targets the meritorious students of Scheduled Caste. It will also help to control the drop out of students from courses 9 to 12.
- The scheme will provide high quality residential schooling.
- To implement the scheme, NITI Aayog has recognized reputed non – public residential facilities in aspirational districts.
- The GoI has estimated that the scheme implementation will require Rs 300 crores.
- The scheme is expected to help more than 24,800 students in next five years.
Mahaparinirvan Divas
The death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, the Father of Indian Constitution, is celebrated as Mahaparinirvan Divas in the country. It falls on December 6. The SRESHTA Scheme is to be launched on this day.
Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
The scheme is to be launched as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. It is a GoI initiative to celebrate 75 years of independence. The celebrations under the programme was started in March 2021 and it is to go on till 15th August 2022
Gita Gopinath: IMF First Deputy Managing Director
The Indian American, Gita Gopinath has become the first Deputy Managing Director of International Monetary Fund. She is the first Indian to take up the top role in the organisation. First Deputy Managing Director is the second top post in IMF next to the Managing Director.
Gita Gopinath
Gita Gopinath was the first female Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund.
She was born in Kolkata in 1971. She completed her graduation in University of Delhi and her masters in Washington University and PhD in Princeton University.
In 2018, she was appointed the Chief Economist of the IMF.
She named the world wide recession of 2020 due to COVID-19 as “The Great Lockdown”.
In 2021, she was named the First Managing Director of IMF. It is number 2 position in the organisation.
She was awarded the Parvasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019 by the President of India. The Parvasi Bharatiya Samman is presented on the Parvasi Bharatiya Divas. It is the highest award presented to the overseas Indians.
Deputy Managing Director in IMF
IMF is managed by the Managing Director, First Deputy Managing Director and deputy managing directors. The First Deputy Managing Director in the IMF takes lead on conducting surveillance, flagship publications and oversee researches.
Under Ms Gopinath’s leadership, the IMF has contributed in multilateral surveillance through World Economic Outlook. Her plan to end COVID-19 crisis by vaccinating the world at feasible cost was a huge success.
Nizamuddin Basti Project gets two UNESCO Heritage Awards
The UNESCO recently presented two Heritage Awards to the Nizamuddin Basti Project. The project was awarded for its conservation efforts. It was awarded with the Special Recognition for Sustainable Award and Award of Excellence.
Nizamuddin Basti Project
The project restored more than 20 historic monuments located around 14th century Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
The Nizamuddin area consists of Humayun Tomb and Batashewala Tomb and tomb of a 16th century poet Rahim (Khan I Khanan). These regions were segregated and damaged. They were also renewed by the Nizamuddin Basti Project.
The project was started in 2007 by the Aga Kahn Trust for Culture, Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation and the Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Objectives
The Nizamuddin Basti Project is an Urban Renewal Project. It successfully unified the segregated zones of the seven-century old settlement of the Nizamuddin Basti and its surrounding 70 acres.
It integrated socio – economic development, conservation and environmental development objectives in these areas.
It unified three major sites namely Sundar Nursery, Nizamuddin Basti and Humayun Tomb.
Humayun Tomb
Humayun Tomb was commissioned by his first wife Bega Begum. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. Since then, it has undergone extensive restoration work. The tomb is placed in the centre of a thirty-acre garden called “Char Bagh”. The last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured by the British in Humayun Tomb in 1857.
