CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 2026
CLAT Relevance
- uGMRT — India’s radio telescope, scientific discovery
- SFDR — DRDO missile technology, ramjet propulsion
- IDS Railways — fibre optic technology, wildlife protection
- Defence and space technology for GK section
J1007+3540: Giant Radio Galaxy Discovery
- J1007+3540: rare giant radio galaxy discovered using uGMRT (upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope)
- Located in Pune, operated by NCRA-TIFR
- Array of 30 antennas (each 45 metres diameter), spread over 25 km area
Key Facts: uGMRT
- Full form: upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
- Location: Khodad, near Pune, Maharashtra
- Operator: NCRA-TIFR (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)
- Configuration: 30 antennas x 45m each x 25 km spread
- One of the world’s largest low-frequency radio telescopes
SFDR — Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet
- SFDR (Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet): DRDO successful test
- Developed by DRDL Hyderabad + RCI + HEMRL Pune
- Air-breathing propulsion — no oxidiser needed, making it lighter
- Enables supersonic speeds
- India joins elite club of nations with this technology
Technical Analysis: How a Ramjet Works
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- Uses missile’s forward speed to compress incoming air
- No mechanical compressor needed (unlike turbojet)
- Air enters intake → compressed by forward motion → mixed with fuel → combustion → thrust
- Advantage: lighter (no oxidiser tank), faster, longer range
- Limitation: cannot start from rest — needs initial boost
IDS — Intrusion Detection System for Railways
- IDS (Intrusion Detection System): Rs 208 crore project
- Covers 1,158 route-km across 8 railway zones
- Uses Fibre-based DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) with Rayleigh scattering
- Can detect elephant movement near tracks via pressure/vibration analysis
Mnemonic: DRDO Missile Labs
D-R-H = DRDL (Hyderabad) + RCI (Research Centre Imarat) + HEMRL (High Energy Materials Research Lab, Pune)
Remember: SFDR = Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet = Air-breathing = No oxidiser
D-R-H = DRDL (Hyderabad) + RCI (Research Centre Imarat) + HEMRL (High Energy Materials Research Lab, Pune)
Remember: SFDR = Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet = Air-breathing = No oxidiser
Source: UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express — March 2026
Practice Quiz
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Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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