What is ATL Space Challenge 2021?

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully launched the ATL Space Challenge 2021 for all school students across the country.
• The challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non ATL schools as well.
• This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve digital age space technology problems.
• The ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with the World Space Week 2021 which is being observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.
• The aim of this challenge is to enable innovation among young school students to create something in space sector that will not only help them learn about the space but create something that space programme can use itself.
• ATL Space Challenge 2021 is one-of-a-kind challenge for school students across India that aligns with this year’s theme of celebrating 75 years of India’s independence as “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.
• The Space Challenge perfectly aligns with the objective of the nation-wide Mahotsav and support the young innovators and introduce them to newer technologies and skills.
• Meanwhile, Students (from ATL and Non-ATL schools) can submit their entries be it a solution or an innovation in team of up to three members. Teams must be aligned to one of the Challenge Themes under which the problems can be identified.
• Students can create a solution that can be implemented and adopted leveraging technologies such as:

1. Explore Space
2. Reach Space
3. Inhabit Space
4. Leverage Space

How to apply?

• The application for the Space Challenge can be submitted on the AIM online portal. Each team based on their interest and understanding, must select one problem which falls under any one of the Space Challenge themes. Each unique solution must be submitted under one theme only. Submitting the same solution/ innovation under multiple themes will result in immediate disqualification.
• The online application form submission will include- document submission (description of the innovation/ solution) and video submission (capturing a 360-degree view of the working prototype/ solution)
• School Teachers, ATL In-Charges and mentors have been advised to support the student teams. Individual member entry is not allowed. Also if the team size exceeds 3 members limit, the entry/ submission will be immediately disqualified.

Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme

The Centre has revised the "Transport and Marketing Assistance" (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products.

• In February 2019, the Department of Commerce had introduced ‘Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’ to provide assistance for the international component of freight, to mitigate disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products.
• The scheme was initially applicable for exports effected during the period from 01.03.2019 to 31.03.2020 and was later extended for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.
• Now the Department has notified ‘Revised Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’ for exports effected on or after 01.04.2021 up to 31.03.2022. The existing scheme will remain in operation for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.

What are the changes in the scheme?

• Dairy products, which were not covered under the earlier scheme, will be eligible for assistance under the revised scheme.
• Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and by 100% for exports by air.

Click here to download the Booklet for Agriculture sector in India.

Porunai or Thamirabarani civilisation: New Discovery

A carbon dating analysis of rice with soil, found in a burial urn at Sivakalai in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, by the Miami-based Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory has yielded the date of 1155 BC, indicating that the Thamirabarani or Porunai civilisation dates back to 3,200 years.

• Encouraged by this finding, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced in the Assembly the establishment of Porunai Museum in Tirunelveli at a cost of Rs. 15 crore.
• The finding has established that the Porunai river [Thamirabarani] civilisation dates back to 3,200 years. It is the government’s task to scientifically prove that the history of the Indian subcontinent should begin from the Tamil landscape.

• Thamirbarani River The shortest river in the state (Tamil Nadu), the Thamirabarani starts in Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats in the Ambasamudram taluk, flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts and empties at Korkai (Tirunelveli district) into the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal).

• The Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory released the test report on August 27.
• Carbon Dating is the determination of the age or date of organic matter from the relative proportions of the carbon isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14 that it contains.

• Mr. Stalin said archaeological excavations would be carried out in other States and countries in search of Tamil roots.
• In the first phase, studies would be undertaken at the ancient port of Muziris, now known as Pattanam, in Kerala.
• The research will be done jointly with Kerala archaeologists to establish the ancientness and culture of the Chera empire. Similar studies would be conducted at Vengi in Andhra Pradesh, Thalaikadu in Karnataka and Palur in Odisha.
• The Chief Minister said the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department would conduct research at Quseir al-Qadim and Pernica Anekke in Egypt, which were once part of the Roman empire, as well as in Khor Rori in Oman, to establish the Tamils’ trade relations with these countries. Potsherds bearing Tamil scripts have been found in these countries. The study will be conducted with the help of the archaeologists of these countries.
• Mr. Stalin said studies would also be conducted in Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, where King Rajendra Chola had established supremacy.

Other recent findings

• Recalling his visit to Keezhadi, where excavations had thrown up new findings, the Chief Minister said the carbon dating of the objects unearthed there had proved that the Tamil society had achieved literacy even in the sixth century BCE. Keezhadi has united Tamils across the world.
• The outcome of the excavations at Keeladi, Kodumanal and other sites in Tamil Nadu have corroborated the view that there might have been contacts between south India and north India as early as 600 BCE-700 BCE or even earlier.
• A silver punch marked coin was recently excavated from Keezhadi (Tamil Nadu) which bore the symbols of the sun, the moon, the taurine and other geometrical patterns.
• Studies on this found the coin to date back to the 4th century BC, which is before the time of the ancient Maurya empire (321-185 B.C.E).
• Archaeological excavations are being done at numerous places such as Kodumanal, Keeladi, Korkai, Sivakalai, in Tamil Nadu.
• As per the carbon dating of artefacts, the Keeladi civilisation dates back to 6th century BC.

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