In a groundbreaking move, a team of astronomers at McGill University, Canada and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, detected a radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen within an extremely remote galaxy. This significant discovery was enabled by data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), a low-frequency radio telescope capable of detecting radio waves emitted by atomic hydrogen.
Atomic hydrogen, the cornerstone of star creation in galaxies, generates radio waves at a wavelength of 21 cm. Until this revelation, the record for the farthest galaxy detected using this 21 cm radiation was at redshift z=0.376—an indicator of the lag between the detection of the signal and its original release—equivalent to approximately 4.1 billion years.
The recently discovered galaxy has redshift z=1.29, representing a larger distance. This discovery was facilitated by gravitational lensing, a technique that explores the matter distribution in galaxies, unlocking doors to distant universe observations.
A New Era of Air Quality Monitoring: Launch of AI-AQMS v1.0
Taking a leap forward in environmental vigilance, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently unveiled the Technology for Air Quality Monitoring System AI-AQMS v1.0. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata developed this outdoor air quality monitoring station with the capability to perpetually analyze environmental pollutants.
The system actively monitors an array of parameters including PM 1.0, PM 2.5, PM 10.0, SO2, NO2, CO, O2, ambient temperature, and relative humidity, ensuring comprehensive air quality analysis.
Revolutionizing Ecosystem Conservation: Biosensing based EDC Detection System
In a remarkable development, MeitY recently launched a state-of-the-art technology for a Biosensing system designed to detect Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) in aquatic ecosystems. This technology is the brainchild of C-DAC, Kolkata, and ICAR-CIFRI, who worked collaboratively to enable both qualitative and quantitative analysis of EDC content in water bodies.
EDCs are chemicals with the potential to disrupt the endocrine system, causing an array of detrimental effects on the developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune aspects of humans and wildlife alike.
Reforming Banking Practices: Loan Loss Provision
In a bid to advance banking practices, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has suggested a framework for the adoption of an ‘expected loss-based’ approach for provisioning by banks. This proposed shift from the current ‘incurred loss’ approach paves the way for more forward-looking ‘expected credit losses’ regime.
Under the anticipated framework, banks using their discretion will assign financial assets (primary loans and investments) into one of three stages—Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3—depending on the assessed credit losses on these assets. Loan Loss Provision, a budgeted expense to safeguard against defaulted loans, allows banks to set aside a portion of projected loan repayments from their comprehensive loan portfolio to wholly or partially cover potential losses. In a loss scenario, banks can dip into their loan loss reserves rather than suffering a hit in their cash flow.
