CONTENTS

1. LISA Mission
2. PM-YASASVI Scheme

LISA Mission

Context:

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed the first look of the prototype for six telescopes that will help LISA’s three spacecraft detect gravitational waves in space.

Relevance:

GS III: Science and Technology

LISA Mission

•  LISA, or the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, is a joint mission by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
• The mission is scheduled for launch in the mid-2030s, marking a significant step forward in space-based observational capabilities.

Mission Objectives and Configuration:

• The central aim of the LISA mission is to detect and study gravitational waves in space. This involves observing and measuring the ripples in spacetime caused by massive celestial events and objects, such as black holes and binary star systems.
• The mission will utilize three spacecraft arranged in a nearly equilateral triangle, each side spanning approximately 1.6 million miles (about 2.5 million kilometers).
• These spacecraft will be positioned in a heliocentric orbit, trailing Earth in its journey around the Sun, maintaining a consistent distance of about 50 million kilometers from our planet.

Technological Innovations and Scientific Goals:

• Detection Method: LISA will employ laser interferometry to measure the minute changes in the distance between free-floating test masses—gold-platinum cubes—housed within each of the spacecraft.
• Gravitational Wave Detection: By precisely tracking the distances between these cubes, LISA will detect the subtle spacetime distortions caused by gravitational waves.
• Deep Space Observations: As the first gravitational wave detector placed in space, LISA aims to explore fundamental questions about the nature of gravity, the behavior of black holes, and the expansion rate of the Universe.

Impact on Science and Understanding of the Universe:

• The mission will provide unprecedented insights into the fabric of spacetime and the dynamics of massive objects, enhancing our understanding of gravitational physics.
• By studying gravitational waves, LISA will also contribute to cosmology, offering new ways to probe the early universe and its subsequent evolution.
• LISA will complement Earth-based gravitational wave observatories, like LIGO and Virgo, by detecting waves at lower frequencies that cannot be picked up by these facilities.

PM-YASASVI Scheme

Context:

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has implemented the PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (PM-YASASVI).

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

About PM-YASASVI Scheme:

• It is an integrated umbrella scheme for the promotion of students belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and Denotified Tribes (DNT) through providing quality education in their crucial formative years.
• Consolidation and enhancement of the various earlier schemes, such as the Dr. Ambedkar Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for EBCs and the Dr. Ambedkar Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for DNTs, merged into this scheme from 2021-22.
• All these schemes will now merge to form PM YASASVI, which will benefit the students in a more integrated and effective manner.
• Objective: The Scheme aims to educationally empower these sections who are economically challenged, thus enabling them to cross the barriers of finance and complete their education.
• Under this Scheme, students can avail Pre-Matric Scholarship from Class 9 to 10 and Post Matric Scholarship for their higher studies at post-matriculation or post-secondary stage.
• Eligibility:
  • Basically, the scheme of Pre-Matric Scholarship is prepared for students studying in classes IX and X in government schools.
  • Less than Rs. 2.5 lakh family income.
• Implementing Agency: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.