ATOMIC CLOCKS

By installing atomic clocks across the country, India has recently taken a major step in harmonizing all digital devices with Indian Standard Time (IST).

Context:

• The goal of this program is to improve national security and consistency by implementing “one nation, one time.”

About ATOMIC CLOCKS

• An atom (usually hydrogen or caesium) and a quartz crystal oscillator are combined to create an extremely accurate timepiece known as an atomic clock.
• It is more stable than traditional quartz clocks because it maintains precise time using the constant frequency of atoms.
• Louise Essen created these clocks in 1955.

How Do Atomic Clocks Work?

• Atoms—more precisely, the electronic transition between two states—serve as the “pendulum” of atomic clocks.
• Reliability of atoms (such rubidium or caesium) is the foundation for accurate timekeeping.
• We can induce even more regular vibrations in these atoms by exposing them to microwave radiation. The vibrations of these are then contrasted with those of a quartz crystal in an ordinary clock.

Atomic clock types:

• The main reference point for determining the SI second is the widely-used Caesium Atomic Clock.
• Applications for hydrogen maser atomic clocks can be found in scientific research; they are even more accurate than caesium clocks.

India’s Atomic Clocks:

• Caesium and hydrogen maser clocks are used by the Council of Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR)-National Physical Laboratories (NPL) in New Delhi to maintain Indian Standard Time (IST).
• India is installing atomic clocks all around the country to improve consistency and national security.
• In addition to the current atomic clocks in Faridabad and Ahmedabad, new ones are being installed in Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Hyderabad.
• These new clocks are scheduled to be deployed by June, and all gadget manufacturers will be required by law to synchronize with Indian Standard Time.
• For increased security, all atomic clocks are to be connected via optical lines.

Why Indigenous Atomic Clocks?

• guarantees both freedom in timekeeping and national security.
• The US cut off the Indian Army’s GPS during the 1999 Kargil War, which resulted in inaccurate location data. It was this incidence that led India to create its own accurate clock.
• At the moment, US-based Network Time Protocol servers are used by the majority of software operating modules.
• The United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea are the only four nations that have created atomic clocks.

SWELL WAVES

Swell waves have recently flooded coastal areas in Kerala’s central and southern districts, alarming coastal people and raising the alarm for district-level disaster management agencies.

Context:

• Beaches in the coastal districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Thrissur were inundated by these swell waves.

About Swell waves:

• Ocean waves that have traveled great distances from their source—typically due to far-off weather systems or storms—are referred to as swell waves.
• These waves can travel thousands of kilometers over the surface of the ocean without breaking, and they usually have a smooth and constant appearance.
• In addition to playing a major role in the formation of coastal areas, swell waves can also cause erosion and floods when they approach the coast.
• They consist of a sequence of waves caused by surface gravity.
• They are not caused by the winds in the area, but rather by far-off storms such as hurricanes or even extended bursts of extremely strong winds.
• Huge amounts of energy are transferred from the air into the water during these storms, causing extremely tall waves to form.
• Unlike a wind sea, these waves can propagate in directions other than the direction of the wind.
• Seldom do their wavelengths go over 150 meters.
• Early warning systems provide seven days’ notice in India. One such system is the Swell Surge Forecast System, which was introduced by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in 2020.

Separatism

• The Indian Minister of External Affairs proposed concentrating on the relationship between organized crime and separatism.

Context:

• Speaking about the potential global ramifications, including the United Kingdom, of a diplomatic spat between New Delhi and Canada after the death of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June of last year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted what he called a heightened awareness of the link between separatism and organised crime.

Separatism:

• This is a phenomenon in politics where political players from one or more subsystems move their expectations, allegiances, and political actions from a central authority to their own center.

Factors responsible for the rise of separatist tendencies:

• Regional aspirations from Northeast India, for instance, were mostly caused by the region’s neglect in terms of development following independence, leading to regional imbalances in economic development.
• Cultural identity, which is predicated on the preservation of their distinct social customs and culture, gave rise to the need for Nagalim.
• Historical factors include the belief held by certain Mizos that they were never a part of British India and, as a result, did not belong to the Indian union. This belief was one of the driving forces for the drive for Mizoram’s secession following independence.
• decline in public trust in the ability of the government to safeguard citizens’ lives and property.

India’s stance on regional aspirations and separatist movements:

• Instead of repressing regional aspirations, India has responded by engaging in democratic negotiations, as seen by its signing of the Mizo Accord to establish peace in Mizoram.
• Parties and groups from the area are granted a portion of the authority so they can influence their own growth.
• Programs like the Aspirational District Program require extra care and planning to ensure the sustainable development of places with poor access to resources and inadequate infrastructure.
• Specific rules are in place to grant autonomy to certain states and areas. The Constitution’s Sixth Schedule grants various tribes total liberty to maintain their customs and traditions.

KODAIKKANAL SOLAR OBSERVATORY

Recently, the renowned Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO) commemorated its 125th anniversary.

Context:

• The KSO, which was founded by the British East India Company, has been essential to solar observation and research in India.

About Kodaikanal Solar Observatory:

• In 1899, the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory was founded.
• The Government of India approved the concept of a Solar Physics Observatory in August 1893.
• In Southern India, near the southernmost point of the Palani Hills, is the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory.

Key Contributions and Discoveries:

• Evershed Effect: This effect, which explains the radial motion in sunspots, was verified by the KSO in 1909.
• Data library: The KSO’s data library has been enhanced by more than a century of solar imaging. By using historical data, one may forecast the Sun’s future effects on Earth and space weather as well as recreate the Sun’s previous behavior.
• Solar Observation: The KSO takes daily white light photos in addition to its meticulous observations and documentation of the Sun’s features.
• Equatorial Electrojet Monitoring: The KSO, which is situated in the southern Indian state of Palani Hills, is a key observatory for variations in the equatorial electrojet, an electric current that flows through the ionosphere of Earth.
• Public Outreach: Through workshops and instructional programs, the KSO actively promotes public outreach.