NASA has unveiled Mars Chopper Drone

• NASA launched the Mars Chopper drone, which is designed to replace the ingenuity helicopter on January 4, 2024.
• Mars Chopper, is an SUV-sized vehicle with six rotors and six blades, enhancing lift and stability.
• It can go up to 3 km in air, which enables quick exploration of vast terrain and access to regions that rovers are unable to reach.
• Ingenuity successfully completed 72 flights on Mars, despite the challenges posed by Mars' thin atmosphere and dust.
• Mars Chopper has a bigger payload capacity, which allows it to carry sophisticated imaging and analysis equipment.
• NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Ames Research Centre worked together to create the Mars Chopper's design.
• Mars Chopper is expected to play a crucial role in future Mars missions, aiding robotic and human exploration.

ISRO successfully sprouted cowpea seeds in space

• ISRO's CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) experiment successfully grew cowpea seeds in orbit on January 4, 2025.
• CROPS experiment is a crucial for food production and potential colonisation initiatives by studying plant growth in microgravity.
• POEM is equipped with solar panels, a Li-Ion battery, and advanced navigation systems for stable orbit placement of scientific payloads.
• PS4-Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) was one of 24 payloads carried by the PSLV-C60 SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30, 2024.
• Duration of this experiment is 5-7 days, focusing on seed germination and development in microgravity until two-leaf stage.
• ISRO's multi-phase space agriculture research platform aims to enable sustainable human existence on distant planets.

Presidential Medal of Freedom 2025

• Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States, whose recipient was declared on January 4, 2025.
• Awarded to individuals who significantly contribute to their country's interests, international peace, or cultural achievements.
• The medal was created by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 and renamed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
• The award is open to both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, including armed forces members, for their outstanding services.
• The medal's design honours the original 13 colonies and symbolises greatness, courage, and independence.
• It has a blue core with 13 gold stars, a red pentagon, five gold eagles, and a white star.
• President may bestow the medal based on suggestions or his own initiative and selection process being broad and unstructured.

Maharashtra reviews Ladki Bahin beneficiary list

• In June 2024, Maharashtra government introduced Ladki Bahin plan as a social program.
• Program is for women between the ages of 21 and 65 from households earning less than ₹2.5 lakh annually.
• Program offers monthly assistance to qualifying women with ₹1500 and ruling party poomised that after re-elected it will increas to ₹2100.
• It is estimated to cost ₹46000 crore annually, raises concerns about its financial viability and its impact on government salary payments.
• Ministry of Women and Child Development is overseeing a review procedure to ensure only qualified recipients receive payments.
• Program is part of larger welfare package that includes free power for farmers and LPG cylinders for BPL families.

Telangana Gov. partners with IIT Hydrabad to study on Polavaram Irrigation Project

• It is in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, was declared a national project under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2024.
• Telangana has raised concerns about the Polavaram project's impact on local populations, ecosystems, and cultural.
• Telangana government has partnered with IIT Hyderabad to assess the project's effects declared on January 4,2025.
• Project aims to generate 960 megawatts of hydropower, provide potable water to 540 settlements, and irrigate 295000 hectares.
• This project is on Godavari River (Dakshin Ganga) and is India's second-longest river, originating in Trimbak, Maharashtra.
• Godavari major tributaries on right bank are Manjra, Peddavagu, and Maner, and on left bank, Penganga, Wainganga etc.
• Telangana opposes Andhra Pradesh's Krishna-Godavari River Linking Project, which aims to divert water from Godavari River.