The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently issued a new set of regulations regarding the operation of powered hang gliders.

About Hang Gliders:

• A hang glider is a type of aircraft that uses air currents to stay aloft.
• Unlike other aircraft, hang gliders have no engine or propeller.
• Instead, they rely on the wind to keep them in the air.

How does it work?

• Since a hang glider is unpowered, it can't take off from low ground. It has to be launched from somewhere high, like a hill or mountain.
• Gravity is the main force on a hang glider. This is the weight of the pilot and the wing.
• The weight produces the thrust that keeps the aerofoil moving through the air.

Powered Hang Gliders:

1. A powered hang glider is an aircraft that combines the features of a traditional hang glider with those of a powered aircraft.
2. They typically have a small engine attached to the frame, which allows the pilot to take off and stay in the air without having to rely on thermals or other weather conditions.
3. This can make them a good option for anyone who isn't experienced enough to take advantage of the winds to stay in the air.

Hang Gliders

DGCA Regulations on Powered Hang Gliders:

No individual is permitted to operate a powered hang glider without prior authorization from a DGCA-approved examiner or instructor.

• The aerofoil shape of the wing stops the hang glider from dropping like a stone. It produces lift.
• The aerofoil forces the air flowing over the top of the wing to travel faster, thereby 'stretching' it to produce a low-pressure area.
• Meanwhile, the downward and forward motion of the wing compresses the air flowing under the wing.
• The aerofoil is then drawn up into the area of low pressure, producing lift.
• During the flight, the pilot controls the aircraft by the trapeze, both to change the direction and to vary the speed.
• The qualified examiner or instructor must have a minimum of 50 hours of experience on powered hang gliders, including at least 10 hours on a dual machine.
• Furthermore, the approved examiner or instructor is responsible for conducting thorough checks and authorising other individuals to fly.
• Individuals must meet specific criteria before conducting test flights on a powered hang glider. This includes holding a valid Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with at least 25 hours of flying experience on a powered hang glider.
• Alternatively, an individual must possess authorization along with 50 hours of flying experience on a powered hang glider, as stipulated in the revised regulations.
• DGCA has mandated that any transaction involving the sale or transfer of a powered hang glider must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the DGCA. This certificate will only be granted following a thorough background check of prospective buyers conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• No owner or operator is allowed to lease, rent, or lend a powered hang glider to any individual or entity.
• The use of any remote sensing equipment, weapons, or photography and video recording devices on a powered hang glider is strictly prohibited without explicit permission from the MHA, unless it is deemed necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft or as specified by the relevant guidelines.

Recently, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope found tentative evidence which suggests signs of life on a distant exoplanet, K2- 18b.

• About the K2-18b Exoplanet:

James Webb Space

• It was first discovered in 2015, more than 120 light-years from Earth, during the space agency's K2 mission.
• It is 8.6 times bigger than Earth.
• It could be a "Hycean" world with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a surface covered by ocean water.
• Now, a new investigation with the Webb telescope has revealed traces of carbon-bearing molecules in its atmosphere, including methane and carbon dioxide.

Key points about the James Webb Space Telescope

• This telescope was built in collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency.
• It was launched in December 2021.
• It is presently at a point in space known as the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately 1.5 million km beyond Earth's orbit.
• Lagrange Point 2 is one of the five points in the orbital plane of the Earth-Sun system.
• It's the largest, most powerful infrared space telescope ever built.

Objectives:

It will examine every phase of cosmic history, from the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our Solar System

The Indian Army is planning to launch the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, a forum for discussing important security matters.

About Chanakya Defence Dialogue:

• It will serve as a regular forum, bringing together top minds from the global defence and strategic sectors to facilitate the exchange of insights and ideas.
• It aims to integrate intelligence, strategy, and expertise, fostering discussions on topics such as Neighbourhood Forces, the significant Indo- Pacific frontier, and the evolving impact of emerging technologies on defence and security.
• The Indian Army is collaborating with the renowned think tank, Centre for Land and Warfare Studies (CLAWS), to organise the event.
• This gathering will draw participants from a diverse range of nations, including Australia, France, Japan, and the United States.
• Scheduled as a two-day conference, the gathering will feature prominent speakers, military strategists, diplomats, and leading intellectuals in the fields of defence and strategic affairs.
• Discussions will revolve around a broad spectrum of security challenges and strategies, focusing particularly in the pivotal regions of South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
• Additionally, cooperation in defence technology, military exercises, and nuclear proliferation concerns will be discussed.

At the Bhimashankar temple, tensions ran high recently when a brawl broke out between two sets of religious leaders known as pujaris over who would lead the puja.

About Bhimashankar Temple:

It is an ancient Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva

Location:

• It is located in the Sahyadri hills in the Pune District of Maharashtra.
• It is considered one of the 12 holy Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
• In recent times, Bhimashankar has gained tremendous significance since it was declared a "Wildlife Sanctuary". This sanctuary is a part of the Western Ghats.
• Bhimashankar is the source of the river Bhima.

History:

It was built around the 13th century. It is a testament to the skills of the Vishwakarma sculptors.

• Structures such as the shikhara (spires) were added by Maratha Empire statesman Nana Phadnavis in the 18th century.
• The Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is also believed to have facilitated worship here through his endowments.

Architecture:

• It is a composite of old and new structures in the Nagara style of architecture.
• The temple features huge court spaces, intricate carvings on walls, and colossal pillars.
• The sanctum of the temple, called Garbhgriha, has been constructed at a lower level inside which the sacred Jyotirlinga is present.
• The Swayambhoo, or self-emanated Shiv Linga, is precisely in the center of the floor of the Sanctum Sanctorum.
• The massive pillars and doorframes of the temple are awash with exquisite carvings of divine figures and holy symbols
• The temple also houses an ancient shrine of Lord Shani which is considered very auspicious by the devotees.
• The statue of Nandi, the revered bull who's the vehicle of Shiva, is present right at the entrance of the temple.

What are Jyotirlingas?

• A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam.
• There are currently12 main Jyotirlingas in India.
• The 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India take the name of the presiding deity. Each considered a different manifestation of Lord Shiva.

12 Jyotirlingas in India are:

• Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat
• Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
• Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
• Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
• Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand
• Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
• Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
• Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat
• Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
• Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra
• Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
• Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

The water level in the Idukki dam, the main hydroelectric power generation station in Kerala, has continued to remain low in recent weeks.

About Idukki Dam:

• It is located in Kerala, India.
• It is built on the Periyar River.
• It is a 168.91 meter (554 ft) tall arch dam.
• It is one of the highest ten arch dams in the world and the third highest in India after the Tehri Dam (Uttarakhand) and Bhakra Nangal Dam (Himachal Pradesh).
• It is the first dam in Asia that is constructed in a double-curvature arch dam type and the second in the world.
• The dam stands between the two mountains, Kuravanmala (839m) and Kurathimala (925m).
• It supports a 780 MW hydroelectric power station.

Construction:

• Construction of the dam commenced on 30th April, 1969, and was commissioned by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, in 1976.
• It was constructed and owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board.
• The Government of Canada aided in the building of the dam with long-term loans and grants.
• This dam was constructed along with two other dams at Cheruthoni and Kulamavu.
• Together, the three dams have created an artificial lake that is 60 km² in area.

Police recently recovered five bodies after seven people performing tarpan rituals on Mahalaya morning were swept away by a high tide in the Hooghly River.

About the Hooghly River:

• The Hooghly River, also known as the Bhagirathi-Hoogly and Kati- Ganga Rivers, is one of the significant rivers in West Bengal.
• It is a distributary or arm of the Ganges River, about 260 km long.

Course:

It is formed in Murshidabad, where Ganga splits into two parts - while the part flowing through Bangladesh is called the Padma.

• The other part is the Hooghly, which flows through a heavily industrialised area of West Bengal.
• The Hooghly river is silted up above Kolkata, and the river flows to the west and south to the estuary of Rupnarayan and then south and southwest to enter the Bay of Bengal through a 32 km-wide estuary.
• The Hooghly's majority of water comes from the Farakka Feeder Canal instead of natural water.
• The Farakka Barrage is a dam that diverts water from the Ganges into a canal near the town of Tildanga in Malda district. This supplies the Hooghly with adequate water even in the dry season.
• Haldi, Ajay, Damodar, and Rupnarayan are the rivers that feed the lower reaches of the Hooghly.
• The important cities near the Hoogli River are Jiaganj, Azimganj, Murshidabad, and Baharampur.

Recently, astronomers have created a beautiful atlas of 400,000 galaxies in the cosmic neighbourhood of Milky Way and named it the Siena Galaxy Atlas.

About the Siena Galaxy Atlas:

• It is a digital atlas that was created to get to know our universe better through several of the known galaxies.
• It was created using data from three astronomical surveys collected between 2014 and 2017 at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). Together, these surveys are known as the DESI Legacy Surveys.

• How is it different from other atlases?

• It is dependent on state-of-the-art digital images captured by advanced technology, unlike previous atlases, which relied on antiquated equipment and photographic plates.
• As it is built on the images captured with highly sensitive instruments, it boasts the most accurate data.
• It is also the first cosmic atlas to feature the light profiles of galaxies-a curve that describes how the brightness of the galaxy changes from its brightest point to its dimmest.

• Significance

• Cosmic atlases help astronomers spot patterns that help categorise new discoveries, such as stars that suddenly flare and then disappear (thus called 'transients').
• These atlases also allow astronomers to identify which objects are contenders for detailed follow-up studies.

Recently, the registration portal for Phase III of Yuva Sangam, under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB), was launched.

About Yuva Sangam:

• It is an initiative by the Government of India to strengthen people-to- people connections between youth belonging to different States/UTs of India.
• Interested youth in the age group of 18-30 years, mainly students, NSS (National Service Scheme)/NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan) volunteers, employed/self-employed persons, etc. may register through the YUVA SANGAM portal to participate in the forthcoming Phase.
• It was launched under EBSB, draws inspiration from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• It focuses on experiential learning and imbibing knowledge of the rich diversity of India on a first-hand basis.
• It is an on-going cultural exchange with the celebration of diversity at its core wherein participants gain an immersive experience of diverse facets of life, natural landforms, development landmarks, recent achievements, and youth connect in the host state.
• Twenty eminent institutions across India have been identified for Phase III of Yuva Sangam.
• During Phase III of Yuva Sangam, participants from 20 HEIs will be visiting 22 states and UTs.

• Significance

Under this, the youth will receive multi-dimensional exposure in five broad areas will be provided to them, which are Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (Technology).