PSLV-C43 successfully launches earth observation satellite HysIS and 30 foreign satellites : ISRO to launch its heaviest satellite, GSAT-11, on Dec 5, 2018

• The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C43, 45th flight of PSLV) successfully launched 31 satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) today in Sriharikota.
• Injected India’s Hyper-Spectral Imaging Satellite (hysis) into a 645 km sun-synchronous polar orbit 17 minutes and 19 seconds after the lift-off.
• After separation, the two solar arrays of hysis were deployed automatically and the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru gained control of the satellite.
• Hysis is an earth observation satellite built around ISRO’s Mini Satellite2 (IMS-2) bus weighing about 380kg. The mission life of the satellite is five years.
• Data from the satellite will be used for a wide range of applications including agriculture, forestry, soil/geological environments, coastal zones and inland waters, etc. Hysis had the company of one micro and 29 nano-satellites from eight countries, including Australia (1), Canada (1), Columbia (1), Finland (1), Malaysia (1), Netherlands (1), Spain (1) and USA (23).
• Satellites from Australia, Columbia, Malaysia and Spain were flown aboard PSLV for the first time. These foreign satellites launched are part of commercial arrangements between Antrix Corporation Limited and customers.
• PSLV is a four stage launch vehicle with a large solid rocket motor forming the first stage, an earth storable liquid stage as the second stage, a high performance solid rocket motor as third stage and a liquid stage with engines as fourth stage.
• Far, the PSLV has launched 44 Indian and nine satellites built by students from Indian universities. The vehicle has also launched 269 international customer satellites.

8 States achieve 100% household electrification under Saubhagya; total 15 States now have 100 % household electrification: Nation expected to achieve 100% household electrification by 31st December, 2018

• 8 States have achieved 100% saturation in household electrification under Saubhagya namely Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, J&K, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.
• Thus total 15 States in the countrynow have 100 % household electrification.
• Saubhagya – ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana’ was launched in September, 2017 with the objective to provide access to electricity to all the remaining households in the country.
• as many as 2.1 crore connections have been released under Saubhagya so far.
• Many more State like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh etc. are left with small number of un-electrified households and expected to achieve saturation any time.
• Achievement of 100% household electrification in the country would be a major milestone in the direction to achieve 24x7 power for all. The Government is committed to ensure 24x7 access to electricity for all by 31st March 2019.
• In order to ensure that no un-electrified household is left in the States which have already achieved 100% household electrification, they have been requested to take up campaign to publicise the achievement all across the areas, so that anyone left out for any reasons may avail electricity connection under Saubhagya.
• For creating healthy competition amongst various DISCOMs/Power Departments of States,an award scheme has been instituted with awards of more than Rs 300crore to be won by States/Discoms. The first DISCOM/Power Departments to complete 100% household electrification will be felicitated with cash award of Rs. 50 Lakh for the employees and Rs.100 crore grant to be spent for distribution infrastructure. For the purpose of award, States have been divided into 3 categories and award would be given in each of these categories.
• The States completing 100% household electrification by 31st Dec. 2018 will also receive additional grant of 15% of the project cost (5% for special category States) sanctioned under Saubhagya.
• Electricity in households has brought new light in their lives. Electrification has direct positive impact on the quality of all aspects of daily life, especially to the women and children.
• With deeper penetration of electricity network, significant improvement is expected in delivery of other essential services like education, health, communication etc. and thereby more opportunities for economic activities leading to employment generation, increase in income and poverty alleviation.

Shri Arvind Saxena has been sworn in as the Chairman, Union Public Service Commission.