Articles to be Covered Today

1. Space docking by ISRO (Indian Express - Page 1, 14)

2. Places of Worship Act, 1991 (Indian Express - Page 6)
3. Drop in MTech enrollment (Indian Express - Page 1)
4. Lokpal (Indian Express - Page 2)
5. Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP)
(Indian Express - Page 14)
6. 150 years of IMD (Indian Express - Page 14)
7. NEET to be held in pen-and-paper mode (Indian Express - Page 8)
Notes available on
Telegram: t.me/ATSLIVE
Practice Question
Q. With reference to growing plants in space, consider the following statements:
1. Plants grown in microgravity exhibit irregular root growth patterns due to the
absence of gravitational cues.
2. Space-grown plants rely entirely on artificial light for photosynthesis.
3. The study of plants in space is limited to ensuring food supply for astronauts and
has no broader scientific applications.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Practice Question for the Day (Covered in this class)
Q. The K. Radhakrishnan panel has recommended reforms in the structure and
conduct of entrance examinations in India to address issues of inequality,
transparency, and efficiency. Highlight these recommendations and discuss their
potential impact on conduction of entrance examinations. (150 words)
Indian Express
Page 1, 14
GS-3
Context
• The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) successfully demonstrated space
docking — or the joining of two fast-
moving satellites in space.
• The successful docking makes India the
fourth country in the world — after the
United States, Russia, and China — to
have this capability.
About SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment)

• Made up of 2 small spacecraft: Chaser & Target - Launch

Vehicle: PSLV C-60
• Both spacecraft was launched simultaneously but
independently
• Stages: Rendezvous, Docking & Undocking
• Objective: Demonstrating in-space docking and undocking
of two satellites while in motion + electric power transfer
About Space Docking Experiment
• Process by which two fast-moving spacecraft are brought closer to each
other in the same orbit, and finally joined together.
• This capability is necessary for carrying out missions that require
heavy spacecraft that a single launch vehicle may not be capable of
lifting off with.
• The capability is needed not only for setting up a space station — for
which separate modules are joined in space — but also for carrying
crew and supplies to it.
History of Space Docking
• United States in 1966: NASA’s Gemini VIII became the first spacecraft to
dock with the target vehicle Agena.
• Gemini VIII was a crewed mission orbiting the Earth, commanded by
Neil Armstrong
• Russia in 1967 demonstrated the first uncrewed, automated docking of the
Kosmos 186 and Kosmos 188 spacecraft.
• China demonstrated its docking capability in 2011, when the unmanned
Shenzhou 8 spacecraft docked with the Tiangong 1 space laboratory. In 2012
astronauts manually joined its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft
Why has India carried out its docking mission?

• The Bharatiya Antariksh Station, the space station that India

envisages, will be built by bringing together five modules in space. The
first of these robotic modules is slated to be launched in 2028.
• Docking capability will also be required for the next lunar mission —
Chandrayaan-4 — which aims to bring back samples from the Moon.
This mission will see five key modules being sent into orbit in two
separate launches.
Practice Question
Q. Consider the following statements regarding Space Docking Experiment:
1. The primary objective of space docking is to demonstrate electric power transfer
between docked spacecraft.
2. ISRO’s SPADEX mission is world’s first space docking mission.
3. Space docking relies solely on manual operations conducted by astronauts onboard.
How many of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Indian Express
Page 6
GS-2
Place of Worship Act, 1991

• Brought in wake of Ayodhya Movement

• It prohibits conversion of any place of
worship & provides for maintenance of
the religious character of place of
worship as it existed on Aug 15th, 1947
Place of Worship Act, 1991
Kept out of the purview:
• Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid
dispute
• Ancient monuments and
archaeological sites governed by the
Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains
Act, 1958
Challenges to Place of Worship
Act, 1991
• Pending since 2020
• Challenge made on 2 main grounds:
• Takes away the power of judicial
review → abated existing claims
& prohibits fresh claims
• Cut-off date (Aug 15th, 1947) →
arbitrary
What the SC order means?
• Barred civil courts from:
• Registering fresh suit challenging ownership & title
• Ordering survey of disputed religious places
• Order applicable to:
• Pending civil suits
• Future suits
• Court orders can be challenged → on Secularism &
Rule of Law
Practice Question
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Places of Worship (Special
Provisions) Act, 1991:
1. The Act prohibits the conversion of the religious character of any place of worship as
it existed before the passage of the Act.
2. The provisions does not apply to ancient and historical monuments covered under the
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Indian Express
Page 1
GS-2
Context
• The latest data from the All India
Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) shows that nearly two of every
three MTech seats in India’s engineering
colleges lie vacant– a pattern that has
persisted even as total postgraduate seats
have shrunk by a third since 2017-18.
More about the
news
• The last two
academic years
have seen the
lowest MTech
enrollment
numbers
More about the
news
• BTech scenario
presents a sharp
contrast.
• The vacancy rate
has dropped
dramatically in
2023-24 — only
17%
Reasons for lower demand for M.Tech
• Not much difference in salaries compared to B.Tech
• Disconnect between the curricular aspects of a postgraduate
education and requirements of the industry today
• Content, curriculum (at the postgraduate level) not upgraded
in terms of what was happening in industry
• Post graduation looks more at research aspect → Industry
requires application-based knowledge
• Earlier you needed an MTech to do a PhD, but that has mostly
been removed everywhere
Indian Express
Page 2
GS-2
Context
• Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has said that mere
establishment of Lokpal does not solve the problem of
corruption and asserted that the anti-corruption ombudsman
must coordinate seamlessly with agencies like Central
Vigilance Commission.
• Speaking at an event to commemorate Lokpal Day, the CJI
said Lokpal is of paramount importance for constitutional
scheme because it carries antidote of corruption.
What is Lokpal?

• Statutory body established under the

Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013
• Inquires and investigate into
allegations of corruption against
certain public functionaries
Organisational Structure of Lokpal
Chairperson + 8 members
• Chairperson: Former CJI or the former Judge of SC or an eminent
person with impeccable integrity and outstanding ability
• Maximum of eight Members out of whom 50% are Judicial Members.
• The judicial member of the Lokpal should be either a former Judge
of the SC or a former CJ of a HC
• A minimum of fifty per cent of the Members will be from SC / ST
/ OBC / Minorities and women.
How are Members Appointed?
The President appoints the Chairperson & Members on the
recommendations of a Selection Committee consisting of:
• Chairperson: Prime Minister as Chairperson
• Members: Speaker of Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Lok Sabha,
Chief Justice of India, one eminent jurist to be nominated by the
President on the recommendation of the Chairperson and the members
of the Selection Committee
Tenure: Term of five years or until they attain the age of 70 years,
whichever is earlier.
Jurisdiction of Lokpal
Inquire into allegations of corruption against anyone who is or has been
Prime Minister, a Minister in the Union government, or a Member of
Parliament, as well as officials of the Union Government under Groups A,
B, C, and D.
• Covers chairpersons, members, officers, and directors of any board,
corporation, society, trust, or autonomous body either established by an
Act of Parliament or wholly or partly funded by the Union or State
government.
• Also covers any society, trust, or body that receives a foreign
contribution above Rs 10 lakh.
Powers of Lokpal
• Powers to superintendence over and to give direction to the CBI.
• The Inquiry Wing of the Lokpal has been vested with the powers of a civil
court.
• Powers of confiscation of assets, proceeds, receipts, and benefits arisen or
procured by means of corruption in special circumstances.
• Power to recommend the transfer or suspension of public servants
connected with the allegation of corruption.
• Power to give directions to prevent the destruction of records during the
preliminary inquiry.
Practice Question
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Lokpal:
1. The Lokpal is a statutory body established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
2. The jurisdiction of the Lokpal excludes the Prime Minister.
3. The Lokpal does not have jurisdiction over officials below the rank of Group A and B
officers.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
https://bit.ly/3BHLzfW
https://bit.ly/3BHLzfW
Indian Express
Page 14
GS-2
Context
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Fast Track
Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) at
Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin
and Ahmedabad airports
• This comes seven months after the FTI-TTP was launched at
the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.
What is FTI-TTP?
• It seeks to facilitate international mobility with faster, smoother
and more secure immigration clearance for passengers arriving
from other countries across 21 major airports in the country.
• In the initial phase, it was for Indian nationals and OCI
cardholders, next phase will extend these facilities to foreign
travelers.
• The Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs is
the nodal agency for programme implementation.
How does FTI-TTP work?
• To enroll in the programme, the applicant has to register online by
filling in their details and uploading the required documents.
• After necessary verification, a white list of ‘Trusted Travelers’
will be generated and fed for implementation through e-gates.
• Biometrics of the ‘Trusted Traveler’ passing through e-Gates will
be captured at the Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO) office or
at the time of first passage of the registered traveller through the
airport.
How does FTI-TTP work?
• The TTP registration will be valid until the validity of the
passport or five years, whichever is earlier, and will be renewed
thereafter.
• Under the process, as soon as the registered passenger reaches the
e-gates at the airport, they have to scan their boarding pass and
passport, and authenticate their biometrics
• On such authentication, the e-gate will open automatically and
immigration clearance will be deemed to have been granted.
Indian Express
Page 14
GS-1
Context
• The India Meteorological Department
(IMD) celebrated its 150th anniversary
on Wednesday.
• Let’s try to understand how India’s
weather agency has improved its
operations, and the plans it has for the
future.
About Indian Meteorological Department (IMD):
• Established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of
the country and the principal government agency in all matters
relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
• Its headquarters is in New Delhi, supported by 6 Regional
Meteorological Centres at Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi,
Calcutta, Nagpur, and Guwahati.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Mandate of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD):
• Take meteorological observations and to provide current and forecast
meteorological information for weather-sensitive activities.
• Warn against severe weather phenomena
• Provide meteorological statistics required for nation-building
activities.
• Conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines
Improvements in Forecasting
• Overall forecast accuracy has improved by 40% over the last decade:
• Strengthening of its meteorological observation network across
land, sea, and space.
• Two geostationary satellites, INSAT 3DR and 3DS, are now
monitoring weather round-the-clock
• Weather model resolution has improved from 25 km to 12 km for
medium-range forecasts (with up to 10 days of lead time).
Improvements in Forecasting
Forecast accuracy across multiple weather forecast windows has increased
manifold.
• Heatwaves can now be predicted with 95% accuracy upto two days in advance, as
against 50% accuracy in 2014.
• Thunderstorms can be detected on an hourly basis with 86% accuracy, as against
50% accuracy in 2017.
• The chances of detecting heavy rainfall, upto three days in advance, is 78% today
as opposed to only 50% a decade ago.
• Accuracy of cyclone track prediction has improved some 35-40% over the past
decade, enough to bring down the loss of human lives to zero.
Towards zero-error forecasting
IMD’s Vision Document 2047
• Ensure that at the block level, its forecasts for all severe weather
phenomena up to three days in advance are “zero-error” by 2047
• Ensure that the loss of human lives due to any severe weather event is
brought to zero over the next two decades.
• Improve the resolution of its weather models from 12 km at present to
5-6 km, which will make it possible to provide hyper-localised
weather information at the level of the village panchayat.
Forecasting to Management
• Interested in managing weather phenomena like rain, hail, and fog,
which often cause the most havoc
• Establishment of a first-of-its-kind cloud chamber at the Indian
Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
• This chamber will help IMD scientists to better understand cloud
physics, and eventually perfect cloud seeding, a process by which
the amount, type, or time of precipitation can be modified
through human interventions.
Indian Express
Page 8
GS-2
Context
• A seven-member panel headed by former
ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan has
made a set of 101 recommendations to
the Ministry of Education to conduct
national level entrance exams in a
“transparent, smooth and fair” way.
• Yet, NEET exams will continue to be
held in pen-and-paper mode this year.
What are the Recommendations?
National Testing Agency (NTA)
• Outstretched itself + high dependence on
service providers & outsourced agencies
• Primarily limit itself to conducting
entrance examinations
• NTA DG can be assisted by 2 ADGs &
domain specific staff
What are the Recommendations?
Involving State & District-level authorities
• Coordination committees @ 2 levels with
NTA, NIC, police & IB
• Security by police or CAPFs
• Sealing of test centers before exam →
guarded till de-sealing
• Monitoring via CCTVs
• ‘Presiding officer’ of NTA
What are the Recommendations?
Testing Process & Testing Centres
• Multi-session testing
• Multi-stage testing
• Testing centres in each district
• Candidates being assigned a testing center in
their district of residence
• 3 sets, sending encrypted QPs, delivering QP
via computer
• Verifying authenticity → “DigiExam”
What are the Recommendations?
Long Term Measures
• Harmonisation & unification of tests
• Uniform eligibility & admission
criteria
• Number of stages of tests
• Modes of testing
• Migration to ‘computer adaptive
testing’
• Computer based Tests → Collab with
KVs & Navodaya Vidyalaya
Why did Govt choose pen-and-paper mode?
• Largest national entrance exam:
• 24 lakh appeared last year
• This year → 28-30 lakh expected
• Online mode require multiple shifts stretching 10 days
• Reliable test centres
• Large rural student base:
• Not familiar with digital format
• Simulated tests
Practice Question
Q. The K. Radhakrishnan panel has recommended reforms in the structure and conduct of
entrance examinations in India to address issues of inequality, transparency, and efficiency.
Highlight these recommendations and discuss their potential impact on conduction of entrance
examinations. (150 words)
Notes available on
Telegram: t.me/ATSLIVE
Practice Question
Q. With reference to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), consider the following
statements:
1. The IMD operates under the Ministry of Science and Technology and is responsible for
weather forecasting and seismology in India.
2. The IMD was established during British rule and is one of the oldest meteorological
organizations in the world.
3. The IMD provides weather-related information for various sectors, including agriculture,
aviation, and disaster management.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3