PRELIMS

STARLINK GETS LICENSE

Elon Musk’s Starlink has received a satellite communication licence from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Significance:

• Starlink becomes the third company after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications to get this licence in India.
• Amazon’s Kuiper is still awaiting approval.

Next Steps:

• Starlink will be granted trial spectrum within 15–20 days of application.
• The company must comply with security norms (e.g., lawful interception access) before launching services.

About Starlink:

• Developed by SpaceX, a firm founded by Elon Musk.
• Provides high-speed satellite internet globally by using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
• Marketed as “broadband beamed from the skies.”

Relevance for India:

• Potential to improve internet connectivity in remote & rural areas, aiding Digital India goals.

800 OLD SHIVA TEMPLE UNEARTHED IN TAMIL NADU

Location: Udampatti village, Melur taluk, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu.

Period: Belongs to the later Pandya period, dated 1217–1218 CE during the reign of Maravarman Sundara Pandya.

Deity: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, named Thennavanisvaram (Thennavan = title used by Pandyas).

Inscriptions:

• Found on the temple’s stone base; Tamil inscriptions.
• Deciphered by archaeologist C. Santhalingam.
• Refer to a sale deed of a waterbody called Nagankudi, with wet and dry land sold for 64 kasu (coins).
• Tax revenue from the land was designated for the temple’s daily expenses.

Historical Insights:

• Ancient name of Udampatti was Attur.
• Shows temple financial independence and socio-economic transactions under the Pandya rule.

Discovery:

• Unearthed accidentally by children playing in the area.
• Excavation supervised by temple architect P. Devi Arivu Selvam with permission from the Village Administrative Officer (VAO).

ENVISTATS

Published by:

• National Statistics Office (NSO) since 2018
• Aligned with UN’s FDES 2013 (Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics)

Structure:

• Organized into six components based on FDES 2013
• Data sourced from various ministries and departments

Key Highlights:

Temperature Rise (2001–2024):

• Mean: 25.05°C → 25.74°C
• Minimum: 19.32°C → 20.24°C
• Maximum: 30.78°C → 31.25°C

Rainfall:

• High inter-annual variability due to monsoon
• No clear long-term trend in total annual rainfall

Power Generation (2013–14 to 2023–24):

• Thermal: 7.92 lakh GWh → 13.26 lakh GWh
• Renewables: 65,520 GWh → 2.25 lakh GWh

Inland Fish Production:

• 61.36 lakh tonnes → 139.07 lakh tonnes

Significance for UPSC

• A key statistical source for tracking environmental sustainability indicators
• Supports evidence-based policymaking for climate action, biodiversity, and natural resource management
• Useful for citing data-driven trends in essays and answers on climate change, renewable energy, and sustainable development

ASTATINE

Atomic Number: 85

Group: Halogens (Group 17) — includes F, Cl, Br, I, At

Nature: Extremely rare and highly radioactive element

Stability: No stable isotopes (unlike other halogens)

Key Features:

• Physical State: Likely a dark-colored solid at room temperature, but not confirmed due to its scarcity
• Radioactivity: Emits a blue glow by ionizing surrounding air
• Occurrence: Found naturally as a decay product of heavier elements

Isotopes:

• 41 known isotopes (mass numbers 188, 190–229)
• All isotopes are radioactive
• E.g. Astatine-188 → Polonium-187 → Lead-183 (stable) via proton emission and alpha decay

Chemical Behavior:

• Similar to iodine, but shows metallic traits
• Likely forms halide compounds like iodides