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Three ‘Hardcore’ Terrorists Killed in Srinagar; Link to Pahalgam Attack Being Checked
- Three terrorists were killed by the Indian Army in the Lidwas area of Srinagar during a special operation called “Operation Mahadev” on Monday, according to a statement from the Chinar Corps spokesperson.
- Officials are now trying to find out if these terrorists were involved in the Pahalgam attack that happened on April 22. That attack led to the deaths of 26 innocent people in the area.
- The Army said that during the encounter, the terrorists fired many bullets at the soldiers. The fight took place in Lidwas, which is located in the upper parts of the Dachigam forest. This forest is thick and difficult to move through.
- The Army confirmed that all three terrorists were killed in the operation. Their dead bodies were later found at the spot where the firing had taken place.
- At the location, soldiers found a U.S.-made carbine, an AK-47 rifle, 17 rifle grenades, and other things that can be used as proof of their terrorist activities.
- Officials also found a hidden shelter deep in the forest, where the terrorists had been cooking food. There were food items and cooking pots, showing that they had been living there for some time.
- The Dachigam forest has two important parts—one side leads toward Pahalgam in Anantnag district, and the other side connects to the Ganderbal district. Because of this, it’s an important place for moving between areas secretly.
- Inspector-General of Police for the Kashmir Zone, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, said the operation is still going on. The bodies have been found, but their names and identities are still not confirmed and will take some time.
- When asked about whether these terrorists were involved in the Pahalgam killings, Birdi said that the police and army are still at the location and will share more details when the time is right.
- The Army called the dead men “hardcore terrorists” and said that this operation was an important win in their fight against terrorism.
19-Year-Old Divya Defeats Humpy to Become India’s First Women’s Chess World Cup Champion
- Indian chess achieved a major milestone when 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh won the Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. She beat another Indian chess star, Koneru Humpy, in the final tiebreak round.
- Humpy’s spot in the final was expected, as she’s ranked World No. 5 and has been among the best female players in the world for many years. But Divya’s win came as a surprise to many fans and experts.
- Even though it surprised some people, those who’ve been following Divya’s games closely knew how talented she is. Her strong performances over the last two years showed that she was ready for something big.
- Winning the Women’s World Cup, which is one of the top tournaments held by the international chess body FIDE, is a huge moment in Divya’s career and shows how far she has come in a short time.
- By winning the World Cup, Divya also became India’s 88th Grandmaster and only the fourth Indian woman to achieve this title, following Humpy, D. Harika, and R. Vaishali.
- Last year, she had already proved her talent by winning the World Junior Championship in Gandhinagar and contributing to India’s gold medal victory at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
- At the World Cup this year, Indian women players did extremely well—four of them reached the quarterfinals, showing how much women’s chess is growing in India.
- Before this, the only Indian to win a World Cup was Viswanathan Anand, who won in 2002 in Hyderabad. That win made him a legend in Indian chess.
- By reaching the final, both Divya and Humpy have now qualified to play in the Candidates tournament. This tournament decides who gets to play for the Women’s World Chess Championship title.
- In last year’s Candidates tournament held in Toronto, five Indian players—three men and two women—took part, showing that Indian chess is rising fast among both boys and girls.
- Earlier this year, young Indian player D. Gukesh won the open Candidates tournament. At just 18 years old, he later became the youngest World Chess Champion ever, after beating China’s Ding Liren in an exciting final held in Singapore.
NISAR Satellite Set on GSLV Rocket, Ready for Launch on Wednesday
- On Monday, ISRO shared that the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite has been placed on a GSLV rocket and is ready for launch on Wednesday.
- ISRO said all parts of the GSLV rocket have been tested and are working fine. The rocket will take off from the second launch pad in Sriharikota at 5:40 p.m.
- Once launched, the GSLV-F16 rocket will carry the NISAR satellite into a specific orbit 743 km above the Earth, which will allow it to regularly monitor changes on the planet’s surface.
- Weighing 2,392 kg, NISAR is the world’s first satellite to combine two radar frequencies—NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band—making it capable of capturing highly clear and detailed images of the Earth.
- Both radar types will send and receive signals using a 12-meter-wide antenna, made by NASA, which unfolds in space. This antenna is fixed on a special satellite body designed by ISRO for better control.
- The satellite is expected to operate for a period of five years. It will take images using a method called SweepSAR, which allows it to cover a wide area of 242 km and capture high-quality pictures.
- Every 12 days, NISAR will scan the entire Earth. It will do this in all weather, during day and night, and the data will help scientists, environmental experts, and disaster teams around the world.
- NISAR can track very small changes on Earth, such as movement of land, melting of ice, and shifting of forests. It will also help watch sea ice, detect ships, monitor coastlines, study storms, check soil moisture, map water surfaces, and assist during disasters.
- The mission has different stages: launch, deployment, testing, and then regular science work. Each stage is important to make sure the satellite is fully ready to do its job.
- After reaching space, the satellite will open its big 12-meter antenna using a special multi-step boom system that stretches it out 9 meters from the body.
- Once deployed, a 90-day testing phase will begin. In this phase, engineers will check and fine-tune all parts and instruments on the satellite to make sure everything works perfectly.
- This testing includes checking ISRO’s main systems first, and then NASA’s radar and science tools.
- After testing is complete, the final phase will begin—this is the actual science work, which will last for the rest of the satellite’s five-year life.
- During this time, the satellite’s position in orbit will be adjusted as needed to make sure it continues to take good-quality data without being disturbed.
Important questions
- What is the significance of the Lidwas area in the Dachigam forest where Operation Mahadev took place?
- Why are authorities checking if the terrorists killed in “Operation Mahadev” were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack?
- How did Divya Deshmukh’s previous achievements, like winning the World Junior Championship, show her rising talent?
- What makes Divya’s win in the Women’s World Cup a historic moment for Indian chess?
- How does the dual-frequency radar technology in NISAR improve Earth observation?
- What is the purpose of the 90-day testing phase after the NISAR satellite is deployed?
Important vocabulary
- Encounter: a violent fight between armed forces and enemies.
- Neutralised: military term meaning the terrorists were killed or made harmless.
- Incriminating: something that shows involvement in a crime.
- Strategically: in a way that is important for planning and movement, especially in war.
- Milestone: a big achievement that marks progress.
- Tiebreak: a final round used to decide a winner in a close competition.
- Legendary: very famous and admired for great success.
- Candidates tournament: a chess event that decides who will challenge the world champion.
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): a type of radar that creates detailed images of Earth.
- Commissioning: the process of testing and getting equipment ready for full use.
- Deployment: the process of setting up equipment in space.
- Manoeuvres: movements or adjustments made to control a satellite’s path in space.
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