SSLV-D2
- Successfully launched by – ISRO
- SSLV-D2- 2nd developmental Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)
- It has capable of launching Mini, Micro, or Nanosatellites (10 to 500 kg mass) to a 500 km orbit.
- Nodal agency – New Space India Limited (NSIL), under Department of Space, commercial arm of ISRO.
Significance – Low cost, low turn-around time, launch on demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, can be assembled both vertically and horizontally.
SEBI
Supreme Court (SC) asked SEBI and government to produce the existing regulatory framework in place to protect Indian investors.
Initiatives taken for investor protection by SEBI-
- Enhanced disclosure norms for IPO bounds companies.
- Framework for preventing insiders trading.
- New framework for credit rating agencies.
- Allowed T+1 settlement for shorter trade settlement cycle.
- SCORES a web-based centralized grievance redress system.
- Others Investor Education and Protection Fund under Companies Act, 1956 which is funded by unclaimed funds on account of dividends, matured deposits, etc
TARKASH
Indo-US joint exercise (TARKASH) by the National Security Guard (NSG) and US Special Operations Forces (SOF) has for the first time included “Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) terror response” in its drill.
About CBRN weapons:
- CBRN weapons, which are also classified as weapons of mass destruction, have been used by States and terror elements in the past.
- The most recent use of CBRN in the form of a sarin gas attack was witnessed in Syria in 2017 when more than 100 people died.
PRIVILEGES POWERS OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT(MPs)
Protesting against expunction of parts of his speech, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha cited Article 105 arguing that MPs have freedom of speech. Article 105 deals with “powers, privileges, etc of Houses of Parliament and of members and committees thereof”. They are necessary to secure independence and effectiveness of their actions.
Without these privileges, Houses can neither maintain their authority, dignity and honour nor can protect their members from any obstruction in discharge of their parliamentary responsibilities.
Parliamentary privileges can be classified into two broad categories: those enjoyed by each House collectively and those enjoyed by members individually. Parliament has not made any special law to exhaustively codify all privileges. These rights are also given to those individuals who speak and participate in any committee of Parliament, which includes Attorney General of India and Union Ministers. However, parliamentary privileges do not extend to President. Supreme Court in Tej Kiran Jain v N Sanjiva Reddy (1970) and P V Narasimha Rao vs. State case (1998) gave a wider ambit to protection accorded under Article 105.