Elon Musk`s SpaceX recently announced the launch of the first all-civilian space flight.

 

♦ On Falcon 9, SpaceX plans to launch Inspiration4.

♦ This will be the first fully commercial astronaut flight worldwide.

♦ In the fourth quarter of this year, the spacecraft will begin orbiting.

♦ The mission will be launched at NASA`s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from the 39A Launch Complex.

About the mission

♦ The mission is named Inspiration4.

♦ The name is in recognition of the mission of four crew members who inspired support for the Children`s Research Hospital of St. Jude.

♦ It also seeks the possibility of sending humanitarian messages.

♦ The multi-billion dollar expansion initiative by Jude seeks to drive advancement in science and save children around the world.

♦ For the Inspiration4 crew on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, SpaceX will have commercial astronaut training.

♦ It will also include instruction by orbital mechanics, zero gravity, microgravity function and other stress testing for the Dragon spacecraft.

♦ Every 90 minutes, the mission will orbit the earth along a personalized flight path.

On February 5, 2021, Kerala will inaugurate the first Human Milk Bank (HMB). This is a state-of-the-art facility, and at Ernakulam General Hospital, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja will open its doors.

 

♦ With the help of the Rotary Club of Cochin Global, a milk bank was created. 

♦ The breast milk bank will ensure that breast milk can be obtained by newborn babies who are not sick or deceased or who are not breastfed due to inadequate breast milk production. 

♦ Around 3,600 babies are born every year in general hospitals. Among them, 600 to 1,000 sick children join the Intensive Neonatal Care Unit (NICU). 

♦ However, mothers cannot properly feed them due to the low weight of premature babies or babies separated from their mothers. 

♦ Pasteurized breast milk from the milk bank would also reduce the risk of infection and help to reinforce its immunity.

♦ Thirty-two years ago, the idea of a milk bank emerged in India, but so far, Kerala has no milk bank. 

♦ In compliance with government guidelines, milk will be obtained in accordance with all safety regulations and procedures, stored and distributed to children in need.

♦ For 6 months, the milk collected will be securely deposited in the bank. Initially, the milk would be supplied to babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit free of charge. 

♦ Plans to create a hospital network for multiple collection and secure distribution points will be made at a later date. 

♦ In the hospital, the milk will be donated by the delivery mother. All health statistics in the hospital will be obtained by these mothers.

♦ A pasteurization machine, a deep freezer, a refrigerator, disinfection equipment, effluent treatment equipment and a computer were part of the human milk bank. 

♦ The cost was 3.5 million rupees after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the State Health Department with the Rotary Club of Cochin Global in 2020. 

♦ Professional nursing staff will be provided to run the milk bank by the Association of Pediatricians (IAP).

 

 

Recently, two automotive industry executives insisted that Maruti Suzuki India Co., Ltd. would benefit most from the proposed green tax on gasoline and diesel vehicles proposed by the government.

 

♦ Maruti is the top automaker in India and has the largest portfolio of compressed natural gas (CNG) car products among all domestic car manufacturers. By 2022, Suzuki Motor Company is also aiming to increase its annual CNG car sales to 200,000 or more.

♦ Maruti delivered a record 106,443 CNG vehicles in the fiscal year 2020. On average, sales of this type of vehicle are rising by 15.5 percent annually. Maruti further promotes CNG vehicles as an environmentally friendly alternative compared with diesel.

♦ Maruti has stopped selling diesel cars and has formulated ambitious plans to extend its portfolio of CNG models. Maruti has agreed to partner with Hyundai Motor Company of South Korea, which also sells CNG vehicles.

♦ Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has declared that a green tax will be imposed on certain types of vehicles from 1 April 2022. When a registration certificate is renewed, the government proposes to impose a green tax on personal vehicles. 

♦ Fifteen years later, 10 per cent to 25 per cent of the road tax on gasoline or diesel vehicles would be imposed. Similar taxes will also be imposed on transit vehicles or private vehicles above eight years of age while renewing the registration certificate and health certificate.

♦ Hybrid cars, hybrid vehicles and automobiles operating on renewable alternative fuels (such as CNG, ethanol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) will be exempted from the green tax under the Green Tax Guidelines. Higher taxes will apply to gasoline or diesel cars.

♦ Higher taxes on petrol and diesel cars would push individuals to turn to CNG. This will, in turn, support businesses such as Maruti and Hyundai. Moreover, green transactions and increased purchasing costs can be used by businesses and dealers as marketing tactics to encourage consumers to purchase CNG vehicles.