NASA and ISRO are collaborating on developing an SUV–sized satellite called NISAR, which will detect movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about half the size of a tennis court.
- The Name ‘NISAR’: The name NISAR is short for NASA-ISRO-SAR.
- SAR here refers to the Synthetic Aperture Radar that NASA will use to measure changes in the surface of the Earth.
- It refers to a technique for producing high-resolution images. Because of the precision, the radar can penetrate clouds and darkness, which means that it can collect data day and night in any weather.
China Iran Pact
The agreement comes amid a major push from China to back Iran, which counts on Beijing as its largest trading partner, as it deals with the continuing weight of sanctions re-instated following then U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. Earlier this week, China and Russia called for the U.S. to “unconditionally return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as soon as possible and revoke the unilateral sanctions against Iran” as their Foreign Ministers met in China. In this context, they proposed “the establishment of a regional security dialogue platform to converge a new consensus on resolving the security concerns of countries in the region.”
Some Static GK
1. What is the sign of the product denoting a specific location or area called?
- Geographical Indication
- Area Indication
- Benchmark
- Trademark
Ans. a
Explanation: Geographical Indications (GI) is a sign on the product which denotes the specific geographical origin
2. What is true about GI?
i) On international level it is governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
ii) In India it is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999
- Only i
- Only ii
- Both i and ii
- None of the above
Ans. c
Explanation: On international level GI is governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In India Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999 is a governing body administered by Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also Registrar of Geographical Indications.
3. Choose the correct statement about trademark from below
i) It envisions that the product comes from a particular place/region
ii) Right on the product is however enjoyed by only one person/ organization
- Only i
- Only ii
- Both i and ii
- None of the above
Ans. b
Explanation: Trademark envisions that the product comes from a particular enterprise/company. Right enjoyed by only one person/company, that is it is an individual right.
4. Who would be awarded this year’s prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award?
- Lata Mangeshkar
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Asha Bhonsle
- Shahrukh Khan
Ans. c
Explanation: Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle has been selected for the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2021.
5. What is the name of the container ship blocking Suez for a week?
- Evergreen
- Ever Given
- YM Wish
- None of the above
Ans. b
Explanation: The Ever Given container ship was blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week. It was finally freed on March 29, 2021.