PIB Summary- 27th December, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Paat Mitro

Context
The Ministry of Textiles recently launched the “Paat-Mitro” mobile application to provide important information about MSP and agronomy to jute farmers.

Paat Mitro: Empowering Jute Farmers through Technology

• Origin: Developed by the Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI).
• Purpose: Facilitate access to crucial information on Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and agronomy for jute farmers.

Key Features:

• Multilingual Support: Available in six languages for wider accessibility.
• Free of Cost: All functionalities are accessible to users without any charges.
• Comprehensive Information:
  • Provides the latest agronomic practices and MSP details.
  • Includes Jute Gradation Parameters.
  • Highlights farmer-centric schemes like ‘Jute-ICARE.’
  • Offers weather forecasts, JCI’s Purchase Centres’ locations, and Procurement Policies.
  • Enables tracking of payment status for sold raw jute under MSP Operation.

Technology Integration:

• Incorporates advanced features like Chatbot for addressing user queries.

Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI): Key Facts

• Founded in 1971 as an official agency by the Government of India.

Mission and Role:

• Objective: To provide minimum support prices (MSP) to jute cultivators.
• Implementation: Acts as the implementing agency for various Government of India projects aimed at enhancing jute crop and improving the lives of jute growers.

Administrative Structure:

• Control: Under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Textiles.

Geographical Presence:

• States Covered: Operates in seven jute-growing states: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh.

Financial Structure:

• Capital: Authorized and paid-up capital of Rs. 5 crore.

Procurement Policy:

• Quantitative Commitment: Obliged to purchase any quantity of jute offered by growers at support rates without any quantitative limit.
• Government Support: Losses incurred during policy implementation are reimbursed by the Government of India.

X-Ray Bursts

Context
Recently, India’s first multi-wavelength space-based observatory AstroSat has detected bright sub-second X-ray bursts from a new and unique neutron star with ultrahigh magnetic field (magnetar).

X-ray Bursts in Low-Mass X-ray Binary Systems

• Location: Occurs in low-mass X-ray binary systems.
• Participants: Involves a neutron star and a low-mass main sequence star orbiting each other closely.

Process:

• Accretion Disk Formation: Companion star overflows its roche-lobe, leading to the formation of an accretion disk around the neutron star.
• Hydrogen Transfer: Hydrogen from the companion star is drawn into the accretion disk and deposited on the neutron star’s surface.
• Helium Conversion: Extreme temperatures and pressures cause hydrogen to be immediately converted into helium on the neutron star’s surface.
• Helium Build-up: A thin surface layer of helium accumulates until a critical mass is reached.
• Explosive Ignition: Helium ignition results in an explosive release of X-rays, heating the neutron star’s surface to several tens of millions of degrees.

Recurrence:

• Recurrent Bursts: The binary system temporarily returns to a quiescent state, and the neutron star begins to re-accumulate the helium surface layer, leading to recurrent X-ray bursts.
• Interval: Generally occurs at regular intervals, separated by several hours or days.

Magnetar: Neutron Star with Ultra-Powerful Magnetic Field

• Type: Exotic neutron star.
• Characteristic: Possesses an ultra-powerful magnetic field.

Magnetic Field Strength:

• Comparison: Magnetic field is about 1,000 times stronger than a normal neutron star and a trillion times stronger than Earth’s.

Energy Release:

• Associated Events: Releases vast amounts of energy in the form of flares, X-rays, and gamma-ray bursts.
• Extreme Events: Often associated with extreme cosmic events, making them among the most peculiar objects in the universe next to black holes.

Magnetic Field Origin:

• Hypothesis: Magnetic field strength may result from the neutron star’s interior, composed of neutrons, quarks, and exotic states of matter, becoming a superconducting fluid.