Daily news 24 February 2021

National News

1. Rajnath Singh inaugurates 26th edition of ‘Hunar Haat’

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the 26th edition of ‘Hunar Haat’ in New Delhi. The “Hunar Haat” will be held from February 21 to March 01, 2021, with the theme of “Vocal for Local”. More than 600 artisans and craftsmen from more than 31 states and UTs are participating.
• Through Hunar Haat, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs aims to provide employment and employment opportunities to 7,50,000 artisans by organising 75 Hunar Haats by 2022, when India will celebrate its 75 years of Independence.
• The Hunar Haat is also available online at hunarhaat.org and on the Government e-Marketplace portal. Indians living abroad can buy products online as well.
• Hunar Haat is a beautiful exhibition of India’s traditional art and craft and brings together indigenous artisans and craftsmen from across the country for the display and sale of their exquisite indigenous handmade products.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of Minority Affairs: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

State News

2. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Renames Hoshangabad as Narmadapuram

• Hoshangabad city in the state of Madhya Pradesh will be renamed Narmadapuram. This was announced by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the Narmada Jayanti programme held in Hoshangabad. Hoshangabad was earlier named after an attacker Hoshang Shah, the first ruler of Malwa.
• However, the city will now be called Narmadapuram, after the river Narmada, the lifeline of the state. The state government will now send a proposal to the Centre to change the name of Hoshangabad to Narmadapuram. The city is famous for its beautiful ghats along the banks of the Narmada river.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

Agreements News

3. India, World Bank ink project for enhancing school education in Nagaland

• The Government of India, the Government of Nagaland and the World Bank signed a $68 million agreement for “Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project”, to enhance the governance of schools across Nagaland.
• The $68 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of 5 (five) years.
• The "Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project" will improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers, and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies and programmes.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio; Governor of Nagaland: R. N. Ravi.
• World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, United States.
• World Bank President: David Malpass.
• World Bank Founded: July 1944.

4. India signs trade deal, $100 million defence agreement with Mauritius

• The Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar was on an official visit to two key Indian Ocean region countries- Maldives and Mauritius. The External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visited the Island nation Mauritius to review the comprehensive and important bilateral relationship between the two nations.
• India signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement-(CECPA)) with Mauritius.
• The FTA or CECPA is the first such pact with any African country, and will help Mauritius to emerge as a “hub of Africa”.
• India has also offered a USD 100 million Line of Credit (LoC) to Mauritius to facilitate the procurement of defence assets.
• Apart from this, an agreement has also been signed between the two countries to provide a Dornier aircraft and an Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv on lease to Mauritius on a gratis basis for 2 years, so that the country can carry out patrolling activities and monitor its vast maritime domain more effectively.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Prime Minister of Mauritius: Pravind Jugnauth; President: Prithvirajsing Roopun.
• Mauritius Currency: Mauritian rupee.
• Mauritius Capital: Port Louis.

Summits and Conferences News

5. PM Narendra Modi To Inaugurate 2nd Edition of ‘Maritime India Summit’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the virtual Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2021, from March 2 to 4, 2021. The ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ is the flagship initiative of the Union Ministry of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Government of India. FICCI is the industry partner for the summit.
• The theme of the event is “Exploring the potential business opportunities in the Indian Maritime sector and making Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
• The objective of the Summit is to promote both domestic and international investment in the Indian Ports and Maritime sector.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping: Mansukh L. Mandaviya.

Awards News

6. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021 announced

The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival awards 2021 were announced, to honour the best in Indian cinema, television, music, and OTT. Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput was posthumously awarded ‘Critics Best Actor’ for his performance in Dil Bechara.

The winner of the Award for 2021 are as follows:

1. Best Actor (Female): Deepika Padukone, Chhapaak
2. Best Actor (Male): Akshay Kumar, Laxmii
3. Critic’s Best Actress: Kiara Advani, Guilty
4. Critic’s Best Actor: Late Sushant Singh Rajput, Dil Bechara
5. Best Film: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
6. Best International Feature Film: Parasite Most Versatile Actor – Kay Kay Menon
7. Best Director: Anurag Basu, Ludo
8. Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Vikrant Massey, Chhapaak
9. Best Actress in Supporting Role: Radhika Madan, Angrezi Medium
10. Best Actor in Comic Role: Kunal Kemmu, Lootcase
11. Best Actor (Web Series): Bobby Deol, Aashram
12. Best Actress (Web Series): Sushmita Sen, Aarya
13. Best Web Series: Scam (1992)
14. Album of the Year: Titliyaan
15. Best Television Series: Kundali Bhagya
16. Photographer of the Year: Daboo Ratnani
17. Style Diva of the Year: Divya Khosla Kumar
18. Best Actress in Television Series: Surbhi Chandna
19. Best Actor in Television Series: Dheeraj Dhoopar
20. Performer of the Year: Nora Fatehi
21. Outstanding Contribution to Film Industry: Dharmendra
22. Outstanding Contribution to Literature in Indian Cinema: Chetan Bhagat

Science and Technology News

7. Spacecraft Named in Honor of Black Woman ‘hidden Figures’ Mathematician

• A space supply ship, Cygnus NG-15 cargo dubbed as ‘S.S. Katherine Johnson has been named in honour of Katherine Johnson, a Black NASA mathematician, who played a critical role in the success of the first U.S. crewed spaceflight, Mercury-Atlas 6 Mission.
• The S.S. Katherine Johnson arrived on February 22, 2021, and will be at the International Space Station until May 2021.
• Mrs Johnson was a pioneering mathematician known for her hand-written calculations. She helped astronaut John Glenn, to become the first American to orbit Earth, after personally verifying his Mercury missions’ orbital trajectory calculations. Her contributions were also featured in the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve Jurczyk.
• Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
• NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.

Sports News

8. Karnataka to Host 2nd Khelo India University Games 2021

• The second edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2021, is scheduled to be held in Karnataka. This announcement was made by the Karnataka Chief Minister, Shri BS Yediyurappa and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju.
• The KIUG-2021 will be hosted by JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
• In 2021, Yogasana and Mallakhamb have been added to the University Games, in an effort to preserve and promote the century-old sporting disciplines of the country.

9. World's biggest cricket stadium set for first match

• The stadium was first opened in the early 1980s but has recently been rebuilt and now has a seating capacity of 110,000.
• Motera currently is the biggest cricket stadium in the world in terms of capacity.
• The last time when India played a cricket match at Motera was way back in 2014.

Important Days

12. Central Excise Day: 24 February

• Central Excise Day is celebrated every year on February 24 across India. The day is being celebrated to honour the service of the Central Board of Excise and Custom (CBEC) to the country.
• The day is celebrated to honour the officers associated with CBEC and their services. This is done to encourage the officers to carry out their duties with utmost sincerity.
• The officers, every year perform checking of corruption in goods from the manufacturing sector. The day is celebrated to commemorate the legislation of the Central Excise and Salt act on 24 February 1944.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chairman of Central Board of Excise and Custom: M. Ajit Kumar.
• Headquarters of Central Board of Excise and Custom: New Delhi.
• Central Board of Excise and Custom Founded: 1 January 1964.

Obituaries News

11. Former TRAI Chairman Rahul Khullar passes away

• Rahul Khullar, the former chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has passed away. He was a 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who was appointed as TRAI chief in May 2012.
• He served at TRAI for three years. Prior to being appointed as TRAI chief, he was a secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Trade.

Miscellaneous News

12. Jasmine Harrison from UK becomes youngest woman to row Atlantic Ocean

• A British woman, Jasmine Harrison of England has become the youngest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The 21-year-old from Thirsk, North Yorkshire in the UK, achieved the feat by finishing top in the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, organized by Atlantic Campaigns.
• Harrison, who is a swim instructor and bartender by profession, travelled 3,000 miles (4,828km) across the Atlantic Ocean in 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes. Harrison began her journey in Spain’s Canary Islands on December 12, 2020, and arrived in Antigua on February 20, 2021.

Daily news 21 and 22 February 2021

National News

1. Prakash Javadekar inaugurates Atal Paryavaran Bhavan in Lakshadweep

• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, inaugurated the Atal Paryavaran Bhavan at Lakshadweep. Prakash Javadekar is on a four-day official visit to Lakshadweep from February 19 to 22, 2021.
• During the visit, the minister attended high-level meetings with the Secretaries of various departments in the Lakshadweep administration, participated in various official programmes at Suheli, Kadmat and Bangaram islands.
• The minister will also evaluate the major innovative initiatives of the Union Territory’s Forest and Environment Department, so that Lakshadweep undergoes comprehensive development, without compromising it’s commitment to nature.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Lakshadweep Capital: Kavaratti.
• Lakshadweep Administrator: Praful Patel.

International News

2. United States officially re-joins Paris Climate Agreement

• The United States has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement, under the Presidency of US President Joe Biden. Earlier, in November 2020, the US had officially exited the agreement on the order of then-President Donald Trump.
• The landmark Paris climate agreement was signed in 2015, as per which countries are expected to enhance their commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions every five years. The goals of the global pact are to limit global warming to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

State News

3. Kerala Government sanctions Rs. 9 crore to build 48 ‘Smart’ Anganwadis

• The state government of Kerala has sanctioned Rs. 9 crores to build ‘smart anganwadis’, by converting the conventional anganwadis into “smart” structures with better amenities. The state Department of Women and Child Development has given permission for 48 anganwadis in the state to construct new buildings under the Smart Anganwadi scheme.
• These smart anganwadis are being designed and constructed as part of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
• These ‘smart anganwadis’ will provide early childhood care by making the facility more child-friendly to nurture the mental and physical development of children.
• It is expected to have various amenities, ranging from study hall, kitchen, dining area, storeroom, creative zone, garden to swimming pool and outdoor play area as per the availability of land.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan.
• Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

4. Assam CM lays foundation of first skill university of eastern India

• The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has laid the foundation of the first skill university of eastern India in Darrang district in Assam. The state-of-the-art skill university would be built with a financial outlay of Rs 1,000 crore.
• It will impart training to over 10,000 students in 12 disciplines. The university is expected to be completed by 2026. It will have “understandings” with countries like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Japan, England.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal.
• Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

Economy News

5. S&P Global Ratings: India to be among fastest-growing emerging economies in FY22

• The S&P Global Ratings has projected that India will be one of the fastest-growing emerging market economies in the fiscal year 2021-22, with a GDP growth rate of 10 per cent.
• The continuous good performance by the agriculture sector, flattening of COVID-19 infection curve, pickup in government spending and the recently released budget are some of the factors for the positive growth prospect of the country.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• S&P Global Ratings Headquarters: New York, United States.
• President of S&P Global Ratings: John Berisford.

Defence News

6. L&T delivers 100th K9 Vajra howitzer to Indian Army

• Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane has flagged off the 100th K9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its armoured system complex at Hazira in Gujarat. L&T had completed the delivery of all the howitzers under the contract awarded in May 2017 ahead of schedule.
• The K9 Vajra programme involved the delivery of 100 howitzers with associated engineering support package covering spares, system documentation and training. It also involves the maintenance transfer of technology to an army base workshop to support the howitzers throughout their operational life cycle.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• L&T CEO: S. N. Subrahmanyan.
• L&T Founded: 7 February 1938.
• L&T Headquarters: Mumbai.
• L&T Chairman: Anil Manibhai Naik.

7. Indian And Indonesian Navies Conduct PASSEX Exercise

• The Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy conducted the Passage Exercise (PASSEX) on February 18, 2021, in the Arabian Sea.
• The military exercise between the navies of both countries aims to enhance operational interoperability and overall cooperation among them. Indian naval ship INS Talwar and the Indonesian Navy’s multirole corvette KRI Bung Tomo participated in the exercise.

Agreements News

8. India & Ethiopia Sign Agreements On Visa Facilitation and Leather Technology

• India and Ethiopia signed two agreements related to visa facilitation and leather technology. The Ethiopia Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen is on a 4-day visit to India to hold useful and productive discussions on a range of bilateral and regional issues.
• During the course of meetings, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Ethiopian minister Hassen agreed to expand India and Ethiopia bilateral agenda especially defence, economic, S&T, digital and cultural cooperation.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa.

• Ethiopia Currency: Ethiopian Birr.

• Ethiopia President: Sahle-Work Zewde.

• Ethiopia Prime minister: Abiy Ahmed.

9. Indian Oil signs pact with Greenstat Norway for hydrogen fuel

• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has signed a Statement of Intent with Greenstat Hydrogen India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Greenstat Norway, to set up a Centre of Excellence on Hydrogen.
• Under this association, a Center of Excellence on Hydrogen (CoE-H) including CCUS and Fuel Cells, would be developed for clean energy by IndianOil and M/s Greenstat in cooperation with Indo-Norwegian Hydrogen Cluster companies/organizations.
• Facilitate transfer and sharing of technology, know-how and experience through the green Hydrogen value chain and other relevant technologies including hydrogen storage and fuel cells.
• CoE-H will be a vehicle for promoting R&D projects in Green and Blue Hydrogen between Norwegian and Indian R&D institutions/universities.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Indian Oil Corporation Limited Headquarters: New Delhi, India.
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited Chairman: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya.

10. India & Maldives sign 5 deals to boost infrastructure

• External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar was on a two-day official visit to the archipelago nation the Maldives to review bilateral ties and development cooperation. During this visit, Mr S Jaishankar handed over 1 lakh additional doses of the made-in-India COVID-19 vaccine to the Maldives.
• With this, the total Covid vaccine doses gifted by India for the Maldives reaches two lakh. Jaishankar also offered a $40-million line of credit (LoC) to support the development of sports infrastructure in the Maldives.
• Amendatory Agreement to repurpose an older EXIM Bank of India Line of Credit of USD 25 million for Road Devt.
• Letter of Intent between EXIM Bank and local authorities for financing a housing project of 2000 units in Hulhumale.
• MoU on grant funding USD 0.5 million for a fish processing plant in Kendhikulhudhoo in the northern Maldives.
• MoU on capacity building and exchange of content and expertise between Prasar Bharati and Public State Media, Maldives.
• MoU on sustainable urban development between MoHUA and Ministry of national planning, housing and infrastructure, Maldives.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
• Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa.

Important Days

11. World Thinking Day: 22 February

• World Thinking Day, originally known as Thinking Day, is celebrated annually on 22 February by all Girl Scouts, Girl Guides and other girl groups worldwide.
• The day is observed to think about fellow brothers and sisters around the world, address their concerns and understand the true meaning of guiding.
• The theme for World Thinking Day 2021 is peacebuilding. Peacebuilding is at the heart of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting and is as vital and relevant today as for the last 100 years.
• By completing the steps in the Stand Together For Peace activity pack, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts will; Stand Strong, Stand up and Stand Together for peacebuilding.

12. International Mother Language Day: 21 February

• The International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is observed annually on 21 February to raise awareness regarding linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.
• The theme of the Day this year, "Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society".
• International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.
• UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay.
• UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

Sports News

13. Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka wins Australian Open 2021

• In tennis, Japan’s Naomi Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam title on February 20, 2021, after she beat American Jennifer Brady in the women’s singles game of the Australian Open final 2021.
• The four Grand Slam title for Osaka comes two Australian Open titles (2021 and 2019) and two US Open title (2018 and 2020). In Men’s singles final, Novak Djokovic claimed his ninth Australian Open crown and the 18th Major Grand Slam overall, as he defeated Daniil Medvedev.

Winners of Australian Open 2021:

• Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
• Women’s Singles: Naomi Osaka (Japan) defeated Jennifer Brady (US)
• Men’s Doubles: Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Filip Polášek (Slovakia )defeated Rajeev Ram (US) and Joe Salisbury (UK)
• Women’s Doubles: Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) defeated Barbora Krejčíková (Czech Republic) and Kateřina Siniaková(Czech Republic )
• Mixed Doubles: Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) and Rajeev Ram of the US defeated the Australian pair of Samantha Stosur and Matthew Ebden.

Books and authors News

14. Vice President releases ‘Maverick Messiah’, a political biography on NTR

• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has released “Maveric Messiah”, a political biography on former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao authored by senior journalist Ramesh Kandula.
• NTR was ranked among the top pioneers of ‘alternative politics’. His entry into politics and ‘dramatic’ success within about nine months of floating a regional party gave a new direction to national politics.

Daily news 23 February 2021

National News

1. Dr Harsh Vardhan launches Mission Indradhanush 3.0

• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0, (IMI 3.0), to expand immunization coverage across the country.
• The focus of IMI 3.0 will be on children and pregnant women who missed their vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The IMI 3.0 will have two rounds, of 15 days each.
• The first round will begin on February 22, 2021, and the second round will begin on March 22, 2021.
• The vaccination drive will be conducted in pre-identified 250 districts and urban areas across 29 States and UTs in the country to reach out to every dropped out and left out the child and pregnant woman.
• The scheme was launched in 2014 to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all citizens of the country.
• It aims to immunise all children under the age of 2 years, as well as all pregnant women, against eight vaccine-preventable diseases.
• These diseases are diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B.

International News

2. Israel launches "green pass" for people with vaccination certificate

• Israel has launched a coronavirus "green pass" system, which allows people who have been vaccinated to access public facilities that would otherwise be off-limits. As of Sunday COVID-19 inoculation is a sort of status symbol in Israel.
• Israelis who have gotten both Pfizer vaccine shots and those who have recovered from the virus get a "Green Pass" certificate in the form of a QR code or printout for people without smartphones.
• The pass allows entry to gyms, swimming pools, hotels, entertainment venues and sporting events. Green Pass privileges and restrictions are raising legal and moral questions.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Prime Minister of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu.
• Israel Capital: Jerusalem.
• Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel.

State News

3. PM Modi inaugurates Oil & Gas projects in Assam

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation INDMAX Unit at Indian Oil’s Bongaigaon Refinery, Oil India Limited's Secondary Tank Farm at Madhuban, Dibrugarh, and a Gas Compressor Station at Hebeda Village, Makum, Tinsukia remotely from Dhemaji in Assam.
• He also inaugurated the Dhemaji Engineering College and laid the foundation stone for Sualkuchi Engineering College in Assam.
• INDMAX Unit at Indian Oil’s Bongaigaon Refinery
• Oil India Limited’s Secondary Tank Farm at Madhuban, Dibrugarh – Rs 490 crore
• Gas Compressor Station at Hebeda Village, Makum, Tinsukia – Rs 132 Crore
• Dhemaji Engineering College – Rs 45 Crore
• Laid the foundation stone for Sualkuchi Engineering College – Rs 55 crore.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal.
• Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

4. 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival 2021 begins

• The 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival began in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh which is based on the Indian classical dance tradition. Khajuraho Temples come alive with splendour, beams, and the hustle-bustle of art lovers at the Festival.
• The first-day event is dedicated to Bharatanatyam performance by Geeta Chandran and her troupe and Kathak performance by Deepak Maharaj.
• The festival is being organized by the Culture Department through Ustad Alauddin Khan Music and Arts Academy Bhopal. 
• This year festival will give the audience a chance to watch the performance of the dancers amid the aura of the temple as the event is being held once again in the temple complex of the Western Temple Group of Khajuraho after a gap of 44 years.
• The festival was hosted each year at the magnificent city of Khajuraho located in the district of Chhatarpur, the artists perform in the backdrop of historical monuments.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

Economy News

5. HSBC Raises India’s GDP Forecast for FY22 to 11.2%

• HSBC has raised its growth forecasts for India in the coming fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22), from 9 per cent to 11.2 per cent, following a pick up in business activity and a steady fall in COVID cases.
• The 2020-21 GDP forecast of India by HSBC remains -6.3 per cent, as projected earlier.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• HSBC CEO: Noel Quinn.
• HSBC Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
• HSBC Founder: Thomas Sutherland.
• HSBC Founded: 3 March 1865, Hong Kong.

Banking News

6. RBI brings State Bank of Sikkim under its regulatory purview

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has brought the State Bank of Sikkim under its regulation. Till now, RBI had the right and obligation to function as a banker to all the state government except for the state government of Sikkim.
• Now the bank will be regulated by the RBI on a par with other banks, however, the bank’s ownership structure will not change.
• The State Bank of Sikkim was established as an autonomous body wholly owned by the Government of Sikkim, in the year 1968, five years before Sikkim became part of India in 1973.
• It was established under the State Bank of Sikkim Proclamation, 1968.
• The bank provides treasury operations for the state government and operates only within the jurisdiction of Sikkim.
• The bank currently has 42 branch offices and operates three revenue counters for government works.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

7. RBI ropes in Punjabi rapper for awareness campaign on cyber fraud

• The RBI has roped in Punjabi singer-rapper Viruss in its public awareness campaign. The campaign also includes Viruss' popular 2017 Indie hit 'Bam Bhole' that was recreated for Akshay Kumar-Kiara Advani starrer Laxmii.
• As cyber frauds continue to increase, the Reserve Bank of India has undertaken an unusual measure to spread awareness.
• The apex bank that has been very active on social media since the lockdown urges tech-savvy netizens to stay alert or 'satark' against common fraudsters and cybersecurity threats, including in UPI.
• The RBI has been running the campaign 'RBI Kehta Hai' on social media accounts since 2016 but has never been accompanied by peppy music.
• Since 2016 when it created the tagline RBI Kehta Hai, the central bank's communication has been centred on financial literacy and public awareness towards frauds, etc.
• The bank uses social media to talk about the facilities it offers for senior citizens, cybersecurity, digital banking, and setting limits on card transactions.

Defence News

8. ICGS C-453 Interceptor boat commissioned into services in Chennai

• The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICG) named C-453 was commissioned into services in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This was the 17th interceptor boats out of the 18 which are being indigenously built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
• It is a 27.80-m-long interceptor boat. The boat has a displacement of 105 tonnes. It can attain a maximum speed of 45 knots (85 kmph).
• It is capable to undertake multifarious tasks such as surveillance, close-coast patrol, interdiction, and search & rescue. It will also provide assistance to the boats and craft in case of distress at sea.
• The ship will be deployed to do surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone and other duties in accordance with the Coast Guard Charter. This will help in safeguarding the maritime interests of India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Larsen & Toubro Ltd CEO: S. N. Subrahmanyan.
• Larsen & Toubro Ltd Founded: 7 February 1938, Mumbai.
• Larsen & Toubro Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai.

9. DRDO Conducts Two Successful Launches of VL-SRSAM Missile System

• Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted two successful launches of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM). DRDO carried out the launch from a static vertical launcher from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• The launches were monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design and development of the system. During the test launches, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data, captured by various Range instruments.
• The VL-SRSAM is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO for the Indian Navy, VL-SRSAM aims to neutralize various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets.
• The missiles intercepted the simulated targets with pinpoint accuracy. The missiles were tested for minimum and maximum range. VL-SRSAM with Weapon Control System was deployed during the trials.

10. Rajnath Singh inaugurates DRDO skill centre for fire safety training

• Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated Skill Development Centre (SDC) for Fire Safety Training of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) through virtual mode at Pilkhuwa in Uttar Pradesh.
• The first of its kind in India facility has been created by Delhi based DRDO laboratory ‘Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES)’.
• The SDC DRDO facility will help in developing trained human resources, fire safety technology and products to save precious human lives and valued assets.
• The facility would be utilised for imparting fire prevention and fire-fighting training to the Fire Service personnel of Indian Armed Forces, DRDO, Ordnance Factories, Coast Guard and defence undertakings.

Awards News

11. Union Bank Of India wins World HRD Congress Awards

• Union Bank of India was awarded “Best Service Provider” in Human Resources and also the best institution for “Excellence in Learning & Development” at the 29th Global HRD Congress awards.
• Kalyan Kumar, Chief General Manager, HR was named as “Chief Human Resources Officer of the Year”.
• Global HRD Congress Awards are given to institutions annually for the best HR practices under different categories. The eminent jury which consists of the best in the industry will select the organizations taking into account their remarkable achievements in HR.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Union Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Union Bank of India CEO: Rajkiran Rai G.
• Union Bank of India Founded: 11 November 1919.

Books and Authors News

12. Home Minister released a book ‘Rashtra Pratham – 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha’

• Home Minister Amit Shah has released a book 'Rashtra Pratham - 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha' in New Delhi.
• The book chronicles the glorious history of CRPF since its raising in 1939 and it has detailed and thoroughly researched accounts of CRPF’s journey, challenges, successes, and sacrifices and said it will become a source of inspiration for personnel joining the force.
• CRPF jawans have always remained at the forefront be it in Left Wing Extremism affected areas, borders or providing security ring to the Indian Parliament.

Miscellaneous News

13. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Resigns

• The Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry, V Narayanasamy has submitted the letter of his resignation and his council of ministers on February 22, 2021, to Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
• The decision was taken as the Congress-led Government in the UT lost its majority in the House, which is 14. Following a series of resignations, the ruling government was reduced to a strength of 12. Two MLA resigned in January 2021 while 2 resigned in February 2021.

Explained: Why is Maharashtra witnessing another spike in Covid-19 cases?

 With the coronavirus number showing an increasing trend over the last two weeks, Maharashtra has reintroduced some restrictions on the assembly and movement of people. The state government has warned that it could even bring back the lockdown if it was felt necessary.

What is the Covid-19 situation in Maharashtra?

Every day of the last week, for the first time since mid-January, Maharashtra has reported more than 3,000 new cases of coronavirus infections. The new cases in the second week of February were at least 14 per cent more than the first. In the week ending this Sunday (February 14), 20,207 new cases were detected across the state, compared to 17,672 in the previous week (February 1-7). In the week prior to that (January 25-31), the state had reported 17,293 cases.

Mumbai, Pune, their surrounding areas along with the Vidarbha region have contributed the maximum to this surge. Nearly 60 per cent of the new infections in the second week of February were reported from Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Amravati. With 3,228 cases in that week (February 8-14), Pune had the highest number among these. Nagpur (2,628 cases) and Amravati (2,420) discovered more cases than Mumbai (2,195). Thane reported 1,960 cases during that week.

In the last one week, Mumbai and Pune have both reported more than 600 cases in a day, something that they had not done in at least a month. Nagpur has reported more than 500 cases twice in the last week while Thane has gone past 400.

The rise is not very alarming right now. Maharashtra had been reporting between 2,000 and 2,500 cases through most of January, but the numbers were steadily, though very slowly, going down. The spike seen in the last two weeks is a reversal of a declining trend that seemed to have become permanent.

“It is not a red signal yet, but definitely a yellow warning. We have to take steps to ensure that this does not become red,” Dr Shahank Joshi, a member of the state’s Covid-19 task force, said.

Maharashtra coronavirus spike: Why is it happening?

One important reason could be the reopening of the local trains for the general public in the Mumbai region. But that does not explain the increase being witnessed in Vidarbha. State surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate suggests the recently-held gram panchayat elections could also have played a role.

“It is not uncommon to see gatherings of 400-500 at marriages or other events these days. But from now on, the rule of not more than 50 invitees would be strictly enforced. Also, people would have to wear masks at these functions,” Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the state’s Covid-19 task force, said.

Dr Shashank Joshi said there was also a mistaken belief that the epidemic was over. “We cannot let our guard down and use Covid fatigue as an excuse to not wear masks. In fact, like in the United States, there is a need to start using double-layered masks,” he said.

State health minister Rajesh Tope agreed, and said people not following physical distancing norms, or avoiding face masks, would be heavily penalised. He said the district administration had authorised to shut schools if the situation so warranted.

Interestingly, there has been a drop in the number of samples being tested. Contact tracing efforts have also become weaker. Districts like Sindhudurg, Wardha, Palghar, Osmanabad, Nandurbar and Chandrapure have reported very low testing in recent days, even less than the recommended 140 per million.

“Our teams are now at various places across the 14 districts that have shown an increase in numbers, and identifying the most vulnerable spots to take necessary actions,” Dr Awate said.

What are the present coronavirus restrictions in Maharashtra?

Maharashtra covid cases, Maharashtra covid cases spike, Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra lockdown news, Maharashtra restrictions, explained health, express explained

These are the present Covid-19 restrictions in Maharashtra.

* Guestlists at family functions, including marriages, or other events cannot exceed 50

* A complete ban on processions, protests, and rallies for the time being

* Buildings to be sealed if multiple positive cases emerge

* Stringent fines for people not following norms of social distancing or not wearing face masks in public

A case to make higher education free

 A UNIQUE feature of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is its student composition. A substantial proportion of its students come from socially and economically underprivileged families. Yet there is considerable social inter-mixing among students, made possible perhaps by campus politics which breaks down insularities. JNU having a large proportion of impecunious students is the result of major student struggles in the past. One of the first events I encountered when I joined JNU in 1973 was a student strike over the admissions policy. Students had then ensured not only that applicants got extra points for social, economic and regional deprivation, but also that student members of the Student-Faculty Committees had access to the admissions files to detect and correct violations.

November 15, 1969: President V.V. Giri arrives in a procession along with JNU Chancellor Indira Gandhi and (right) Vice Chancellor G. Parthasarathi. The previous day, he inaugurated the university. Photo: THE HINDU ARCHIVES

The admission procedure has changed since then. It has been computerised and outsourced. But the emphasis on getting a proper social mix had been there until recently when an effort began to change it. The recent whopping increase in hostel fees is part of this effort. The “partial rollback” announced by the Executive Council means little: it is “a hundred steps forward and fifty steps back” and that too in an entirely wrong direction.

Many would agree that a jump in hostel fees that makes a JNU education beyond the reach of students from deprived backgrounds should be avoided. They would argue, however, that the better-off students, whose parents can easily afford higher fees, should be paying more. This could be arranged in one of two ways: either by jacking up fees for all and providing adequate scholarships to the impecunious students or by charging higher fees to some and not to others.

These, however, are completely untenable suggestions. They would require obtaining information about the precise income status of each student (except perhaps of a minority that could not care less). But getting accurate information about the income status of the parents or the benefactor of each student is an impossible task, as critics of the old JNU admissions policy involving deprivation points used to argue repeatedly.

Of the two, charging higher fees to some and not to others may appear to be the better alternative, since the errors of exclusion would be less in this case: one can easily miss giving a scholarship to somebody, which would ruin his or her prospects, but one would charge higher fees only when one is absolutely sure. Critics of the JNU students’ current agitation, who have written in the media asking why the better-off students should not pay more, generally prefer this option.

But opting for it shows a total lack of understanding of the ethos of a university. Differential fees are almost certain to destroy all camaraderie among students. Those who are forced to pay higher fees would resent the others who have escaped this fate; they may even develop the attitude of “this person is getting an education because of my generosity”. Under these circumstances, a sense of equality, which is the basis of camaraderie among students, would disappear, to be replaced by a sense of hierarchy. It would be an institutional reproduction of the odious caste system of Indian society within a university, and that too a university like JNU that has striven with some success to overcome its shadow being cast on students’ social life. A sense of equality, and hence camaraderie, among students presupposes equal treatment for all by the institution to which they belong. Institutionally imposed inequality breeds a corresponding sense of inequality among students.

There is, however, a deeper point here. It is wrong to force young adults to rely on their parents for support during the period they are getting educated. To be sure, better-off students would still have access to their parents’ purses. But it is wrong to force them to rely on their parents’ purses, both for their own self-respect and also for their freedom. Even if parents do not interfere in their daughter’s or son’s choice of courses and career, it is still demeaning for the daughter or son to ask them for help. But if parents do interfere, then, of course, it abrogates the freedom of the offspring. The education system, therefore, must refrain from pressuring students to become unduly dependent on their parents.

This objective, in fact, is best served if higher education in public institutions is made completely free. The case for free higher education, in other words, arises not only on account of the large number of impecunious students, to prevent their exclusion; it arises on account of all students as a condition for preserving their dignity as young adults and for their exercising the freedom of choice. (One would of course argue for free primary and secondary education on the same grounds.)

This is particularly important for women students. In India, educating daughters is generally accorded a lower priority than educating sons. Even among better-off parents with many children, the tendency is to concentrate resources on educating sons and to get the daughters, even those passionate about pursuing higher education, married off early. If young women are to have the freedom to exercise their choice with regard to their future, they should be able to pursue higher education without being dependent on their parents or without being prematurely pushed into the job market. The best way to ensure this is to make higher education absolutely free in public institutions.

It may be argued that these objectives, such as the preservation of dignity and freedom of choice among all students, especially among female students, can be equally well-served if higher education is not made free but students are given loans instead to pursue higher education. But in a society where there is massive unemployment even among the educated, repayment of loans would become a problem, which may even cause suicides among students unable to repay, as is happening with peasants. The anticipation of this very eventuality would prevent impecunious students from seeking loans to finance their higher education. In fact, the student loan crisis in the United States is a significant pointer to what might happen.

Besides, the suggestion that rather than making higher education free, students should be advised to use loans for their study is based on a perception of higher education that is flawed. It presumes that higher education is basically to be acquired for the purpose of obtaining a more lucrative job, that it is essentially an input for the production of a more finished commodity that commands a higher value in the market. This perception treats higher education as a commodity. In fact, the commoditisation of education that is occurring at present in India and elsewhere under the neoliberal dispensation is based on this view of higher education.

The problem with the commoditisation of education, however, is that the object that is supplied as a commodity called education is not really education. It is a capsule of information or a certain kind of skill, but not education, whose essence lies in training minds to raise questions. It neither introduces students to the grandeur of the world of ideas nor makes them ask questions, realise their creative potential or become socially sensitive. On the contrary, it encourages them to become self-centred, self-absorbed individuals with little originality and creativity, whose conformism makes them well-suited to become servitors of international finance capital.

Commoditisation of higher education completely ignores the social role of education, its importance in building a society in accordance with the values enshrined in the Constitution and inherited from the anti-colonial struggle. It ignores, to put it succinctly, the need for developing what Gramsci would have called the “organic intellectuals” of the people of a free India.

To achieve this latter end, higher education must not only be primarily provided through public institutions (apart perhaps from a few philanthropic institutions) which are not run on a commercial basis, but must also be completely free, not allowing any exclusion on the grounds of impecuniousness. Instead of becoming an exclusive stamping ground for wealthy students whose lack of sympathy towards the less privileged and bland acceptance of social and economic inequity find general acceptance, institutions of higher education must be places of vibrant debate and free social mixing.

A system of free higher education is necessary for this, for it breaks away from a perception of education as adding value to oneself in the market and underscores the social role of education. If society has need for “organic intellectuals”, then society must find the resources to produce them. It would be argued that free higher education does not exist even in advanced capitalist countries, then why should we in India institutionalise it? This is a non-sequitur: we do not have to imitate the practices of advanced capitalist countries.

Social role of education

Besides, the social role of education is particularly important in a Third World country that is forging a nation, whose people are striving to shake off the legacy of centuries of domination. To be sure, in return for free higher education in public institutions, society has the right to make demands upon the recipients of such free education in various forms, from a minimum number of years of obligatory service in the country to the performance of academic duties gratis during the period of one’s studentship. Free higher education, in short, must not be allowed to become a means of private enrichment at public expense, through, for instance, migrating abroad.

The obvious question that would be asked is: where can one find the resources for making education absolutely free, when even the existing facilities for students cannot be maintained at the existing level of fees owing to a shortage of resources, which after all is the justification provided by the JNU authorities for the hike in hostel charges?

Shortage of resources, however, is a red herring. India has one of the lowest tax-gross domestic product ratios among all the countries of the world, including much poorer developing countries. Raising this ratio should not pose any serious problem for the economy, especially when we remember that India has virtually no wealth tax, while wealth concentration has increased immensely during the neoliberal years. What is needed for raising the tax-GDP ratio is a willingness on the part of the government to tax the rich. Successive governments, however, have gone on giving tax concessions to the rich in the name of inducing higher GDP growth in the country; higher GDP growth in turn is always justified in the name of improving the condition of the common people. But unless taxes on the rich are raised significantly, and there with the tax-GDP ratio, such an improvement in the condition of the people will remain elusive, and the country will be forever caught in an absurd spiral of appeasing the rich in the name of the poor.

Apart from this, there is a second point underlying the paucity of funds for higher education. That is, the way higher education is percieved: it is seen essentially as a means of individual enrichment. Within such a perception, the commoditisation of higher education appears not as a problem but as a solution, not as a phenomenon that would subvert the true education which society should have, but as a means of financing an education system for which the government feels less and less obliged to raise resources.

But unless both these tendencies are overcome, the tendency to appease the rich in the name of growth and the tendency to commoditise and privatise education and destroy the public character of the public higher educational institutions, by making them mimic the private ones, the India dreamed of by the anti-colonial struggle will remain forever elusive.

Main Differences Between Surface Area and Volume

 

1. The Surface Area is a sum total of Area of the planes that form a surface/shape while Volume is the space enclosed within a figure/shape/surface.
2. The Surface Area is a 2-Dimensional concept with units m², cm² or mm² whereas Volume is a 3-Dimensional concept with m³, cm³ or mm³ as units.
3. Surface Area can be found for 2-D figures like Circle, Square, Rectangle but Volume cannot be found for them. While both can be found for 3-D solids/figures like Cube, Sphere, Cylinder, or Cone.
4. Surface Area is found for estimating area of walls to be painted while Volume is found to estimate storage capacity within walls.
5. The area is calculated by integrating the arc or the revolution of an arc (depending on the figure) while Volume is calculated by integrating the revolution of a surface. These methods are used while considering very complex functions and are a part of higher-level studies.

The Enhanced Network Simulator(Release Version 1.2)

(Developed at Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India)

The Enhanced Network Simulator (TeNs), is an extension of the existing popular networking simulation tool - Network Simulator (See NS homepage for details, tutorials and downloads). TeNs is an attempt to address the deficiencies of ns in the modeling of IEEE 802.11 MAC layer protocol, which is highly simplified in the original ns . Apart from a more realistic implementation of this, it also incorporates additional features like multiple interfaces support for mobile nodes, a static routing protocol for wireless scenarios, and also features inclusion of simple directional antennas (see the section Enhancements and Modifications to NS for details). The utility can be seen in the simulation of long distance links, as illustrated in the sample scripts later in this page.

1 Installation

2 Change Log

3 Features in NS-2

4 Tutorial

5 Sample Scripts

6 Credits

 

1 Instructions for Installation

• Download the NS-2 package ns-allinone-2.1b9a-gcc32 (compatible with gcc32), from here. You could alternatively use your own source. TENS has been installed with ns-2.1b9a, so preferably you should have this version
• Download the changes made to TENS from here.
• Follow the instructions contained in the README of the package (its the same as available in the original NS package from NS homepage). After "./install", execute the following steps:
•  Untar the TENS changes in the .../ns-allinone-2.1b9a/ns-2.1b9a directory. Inside the TENS directory, execute the copy.sh script to copy the relevant files into the NS2 directory. If your TENS directory is not in the .../ns-allinone-2.1b9a/ns-2.1b9a directory, you will need to change $NS_DIR(in copy.sh) to point to the ..../ns-allinone-2.1b9a/ns-2.1b9a directory.
• After running the copy.sh script, go to the ..../ns-allinone-2.1b9a/ns-2.1b9a directory and make the following changes to the Makefile:
• First of all check the Makefile and replace any alien path existing in it, with what you think should be for your installation. This may not be required if " ./install " has properly created the Makefile or not.
• change variable CPP in the Makefile to " CPP = g++ "
•  change variable NSE in the Makefile to " NSE = nse "
• make variable BUILD_NSE empty, i.e., " BUILD_NSE = "
• Search for the line containing " mobile/antenna.o mobile/omni-antenna.o \ " and replace it by " mobile/antenna.o mobile/omni-antenna.o mobile/dir-antenna.o\ "
• Search for the lines " aodv/aodv_logs.o aodv/aodv.o \ aodv/aodv_rtable.o aodv/aodv_rqueue.o \ " and add the lines " wlstatic/wlstatic_logs.o wlstatic/wlstatic.o \ wlstatic/wlstatic_rtable.o wlstatic/wlstatic_rqueue.o \ " before it.
• Search for line "mac/phy.o mac/wired-phy.o mac/wireless-phy.o \" and add "mac/wp2p-ll.o mac/wp2p-mac.o mac/wp2p-phy.o \" after it.
• Search for NS_TCL_LIB declaration and add "tcl/lib/ns-stdma-lib.tcl \ tcl/lib/ns-stdma-link.tcl \" to it.
   
•  Now, do " make clean " and "make depend"
• Then execute make and you are done. In the end export an additional environment variable - "NS_ANTENNA_FILE" with its value being the path where the antenna radiation file is being stored.
  
                  $export NS_ANTENNA_FILE=...../ns-allinone-2.1b9a/ns-2.1b9a/mobile/antenna.txt

2 ChangeLog

The Changes in TENS fro NS-2 and in subsequent versions in TENS1.1 and TENS 1.2 are given below. These may serve as a starting point for anyone wishing to learn about the code level changes made to NS-2 and further extend NS-2

ChangeLog for TENS1.0 - A file wise description of the changes made to NS-2 code

ChangeLog for TENS1.1 - A file wise decsription of bug fixes and feature additions to TENS1.0

ChangeLog for TENS1.2 - A file wise decsription of bug fixes and feature additions to TENS1.1

3 Features in TENS 1.2

•  Multiple interface support added
•  Static Routing implemented for wireless nodes
•  Co Channel interference added
•  Adaptive data rate support for 802.11
•  BPSK Modulation Scheme Added
•  Directional Antenna support added (More radiation pattern added in TENS1.2)
•  Channel Number made configurable
•  Addition of ARP entries through script
•  2-p protocol for point to point link added
•  Several MAC parameters like RTS Threshold, Capture threshold made configurable. See the tutorial for full details.

 

4 Tutorial
 

In this section we provide a quick tutorial on the new feature additions and their usage. Please note that this tutorial assumes that the reader is fairly acquainted with NS-2. Extensive NS-2 tutorials can be found at the following links:

Marc Greis's tutorial
NS for Beginners
NS Manual
 

4.1 Configuring Network Components

4.2 Main Program

4.3 Configuration Of Nodes

        4.3.1 Setting up Multiple interfaces

        4.3.2 Attaching a directional antenna

        4.3.3 Setting the Transmit Power

        4.3.4 Channel Number Setting

        4.3.5 Capture Threshold Setting

        4.3.6 Carrier Sense Threshold Setting

        4.3.7 Rx Threshold Setting

        4.3.8 Modulation Scheme Settings

        4.3.9 Frequency settings and Loss factor

4.4 Adding Static Routes

4.5  Setting up parameters for MAC

4.6 Adding ARP  entries

4.7 Using the 2P Iimplementation    

        4.7.1 Link Layer Configurations

        4.7.2 MAC Layer Configurations
    

 

4.1 Configuring Network Components

A mobilenode consists of network components like Link Layer (LL), Interface Queue (IfQ), MAC layer, the wireless channel nodes transmit and receive signals from etc. At the beginning of a wireless simulation, we need to define the type for each of these network components. Additionally, we need to define other parameters like the type of antenna, the radio-propagation model, the type of ad-hoc routing protocol used by mobilenodes etc. The following snippet of code will usually be there. Look at the comments for a decsription of the variable and changes from NS-2.

 

set val(chan) Channel/Channel_802_11                          ;# channel type, NS-2 used Channel/WirelessChannel set val(prop) Propagation/Shadowing                             ;# radio-propagation model, TwoRayGround and FreeSpace also possible set val(netif) Phy/WirelessPhy/Wireless_802_11_Phy     ;# network interface type, Wireless_802_11_Phy is a subclass in Phy/WirelessPhy set val(mac) Mac/802_11                                              ;# MAC type, like in NS-2 set val(ifq) Queue/DropTail/PriQueue                             ;# interface queue type, same as NS-2 set val(ll) LL                                                                  ;# link layer type, same as NS-2 set val(ant) Antenna/DirAntenna                                     ;# antenna model, Directional antenna added, configuration methodology defined later set val(ifqlen) 50                                                            ;# max packet in ifq set val(nn) 4                                                                   ;# number of mobilenodes, same as NS-2 set val(rp) WLSTATIC                                                  ;# AODV also works, no other protocol works as of now set val(ni) 1 set opt(mod) Modulation/BPSK                                     ;#Modulation type added, only BPSK supported till now

4.2 Main Program

The main programme can be started in the same manner as NS-2, when a new simulator is started, trace files are opened, creation of GOD object and creation of topology. All these remain unchanged in NS-2. So, the following code will  start the script. Also, higher layers implementation remain unchanged. So, one could attach a CBR, FTP or a TCP connection with a node.

4.3. Configuration of Nodes.

4.3.1 Setting up Multiple Interfaces

Nodes in TENS may be configured to have multiple interfaces. This may be done by the following line in your tcl script.

$ns  node-config  -numif   1

Subsequent parameter additions for different interfaces can be done by using the following format:

$node  set  netif_(<interface number>)  set  <parameter>  <value>

4.3.2 Attaching a directional antenna

Directional Antenna may be created and setup as follows:

set a [Antenna/DirAntenna] $a setType 0 # types can vary upto 2 currently $a setAngle 85 # Angle from horizon of antennas axis $a setWidth 10 # width of the antenna

Width is needed only for type 0. For type 0, the antenna returns a gain of 1 multiplied by the solid angle, if the node falls inside the cone of coverage formed.
The following antenna types are also present:

Type 1 HG2424G            See data sheet over here.
Type 2 HG2414P            See data sheet over here.

Type 3 HG2418P            See data sheet over here

Type 4 HG2417P-090    See data sheet over here

Type 5 HG2417P-120    See data sheet over here
 

Only radiation pattern and gain values are relevant in the data sheet. If you add a new antenna radiation pattern, please mail in your antenna file to abagri@cse.iitk.ac.in along with a radiation pattern graph image or data sheet of the antenna.

An antenna can then be attached to a nodes interface in the following manner:
 

[$node_(0) set netif_(0)] dir-antenna $a

The directional antenna module takes its input from a antenna file which is expected to be in the NS_ANTENNA_FILE enviroment variable. the default exists in ...../ns-allinone-2.1b9a/ns-2.1b9a/mobile/antenna.txt. The format of this file is lines of antenna gains for differnet angles and antenna types. This can be replaced by ones own antennas file where each line has the following format
 

<type> <angle> <gain>

4.3.3 Setting the Transmit Power

The transmit power of an interface may be set by using the following:
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set Pt_ <transmit power in W>

4.3.4 Channel Number Setting

Channel Number for a node/interface may be set up by the following:
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set channel_number_ <channel number>

TENS implements co-channel interference and this should be noted while setting up channels for interfaces. The co channel interference is implemented as follows:

If a node is receiving and sending simultaeously on two different channels, difference of their frequency is calculated and normalized by dividing the difference by 5e+6. If the normalized value is greater than 5 then Tx power is reduced to 0, For 4, it is reduced to 20%, 40% for 3, 60% for 4, 80% for 4.

4.3.5 Capture Threshold Setting

Settings for Capture Threshold may be setup for a node/interface may be set up by the following:
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set CPThresh_ <value>

4.3.6 Carrier Sense Threshold Setting

Settings for Carrier Sense Threshold may be setup for a node/interface may be set up by the following:
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set CSThresh_ <value>

4.3.7 Rx Threshold Setting

Threshold settings for receiving a packet may be setup different from the capture packet threshold as follows. Unless, receiving power is less than this value, packet will not be sent up the layers
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set RXThresh_ <value>

4.3.8 Modulation Scheme Settings

Modulation Scheme of an interface may be changed as follows:
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set modulationscheme_<value>

The value may be 1 for BPSK and 0 for no modulation. No other modulation scheme is supported as of now.

4.3.9 Frequency settings and Loss factor

The frequency of operation and Loss factor may be setup as follows:
 

[$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set freq_ <value>     ; #frequency settings [$node set netif_(<interface number>)] set L_ <value>         ; #Loss factor

4.4 Adding Static Routes

Static routes may be added by lines in the following format:
 

[$node set ragent_] addstaticroute <number of hops> <next hop> <destination node> <interface>

4.5 Setting up parameters for MAC

MAC Parameters for 802.11 may be setup using following lines of code:
 

Mac/802_11 set dataRate_ 11mb                 ;# Setting the data rate Mac/802_11 set basicRate_ 1mb                 ;# Setting the basic data rate Mac/802_11 set isAdaptive_ 1                     ;# Uses an adaptive rate scheme Mac/802_11 MAC_RTSThreshold 3000     ;# Setting the RTS threhold

Similarly, the following parameters may be configured for 802.11 by using the command:

Mac/802_11 <parameter name> <value>

Each of the parameters is self explanatory by its name:

MAC_ShortRetryLimit MAC_LongRetryLimit MAC_FragmentationThreshold MAC_MaxTransmitMSDULifetime MAC_MaxReceiveLifetime DSSS_CWMin DSSS_CWMax DSSS_CCATime DSSS_RxTxTurnaroundTime DSSS_PreambleLength DSSS_PLCPHeaderLength DSSS_PLCPDataRate DSSS_RxRFDelay DSSS_RxPLPCDelay DSSS_MACProcessingDelay

4.6 Adding ARP entries

One could add ARP entries as follows:

$ll add-arp-entry <node-address> <mac-address>

4.7 Using the 2p Implementation

For 2p implementation while configuring netwrok components, set Link Layer to 2P link Layer and MAC to 2p Link Layer

set val(mac)           Mac/WP2P_MAC ; set val(ll)                LL/WP2P_LL ;

After making link layer and mac layer configuration with each node, one may attach either a tcp or ftp agent and send packets

4.7.1 Link Layer Configurations

The following settings may be made for a point to point link:

$ll set-my-node-id <id>                   ;set the node's id $ll set-nbr-node-id <id>                   ;set the neighbouring node's id $ll set-my-mac-id <id>                     ;set the node's mac address $ll set-nbr-mac-id <id>                    ;set the neighbouring node's mac address $ll set-dummy-packet-size <size>     ;set the size of the dummy packet $ll set-mac $mac                              ;set the mac as Mac/WP2P_MAC $ll set-limit <value>                           ;set the link layer buffer limit value

4.7.2 MAC Layer configurations
 

$mac link-up                       ; activate the link/interface $mac link-down                   ; deactivate the link/interface $mac set-ifa-nbr <value>     ; set MAC of the neighbouring links of this node $mac set-ll $ll                       ; set link layer as LL/WP2P_LL, different configurations at different node is possible $mac set-delay <value>        ; set delay value

5 Sample Scripts

two-node.tcl:     A sample script for two nodes interacting over a type 1 antenna. A good starting point to understand TENS

sample.tcl:   A four node network with multiple interfaces and static routing.

topo.tcl :         A more dense topology simulation.

2-p.tcl:               A script using the 2-p protocol

 

sample_long.tcl This script shows how directional antennas can be used for simulating long distance links. It is same as four node network except that the last hop is 6 Kms

6 Credits

TENS was output of the thesis of Siddharth Saha in.. during his maters at Indian institute of Technology, Kanpur. It was then extended by Sabyasachi Roy and Ashwinias a part of their Bachelor's project at IIT Kanpur. Dr Bhaskaran Raman of Computer science and Engineering Department and Dr Kameswari Chebrolu of electrical Engineering Department have been involved in upgrade of TENS since 1.0 with a lot of bug fixes and feature addition, the most significant being the 2-p implementation.