Current Affairs: May 16, 2016

Indigenous Advanced Air Defence interceptor missile, Ashwin successfully test fired

Indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile, Ashwin was successfully test fired. The test was the twelfth test of interceptor missiles fired from a warship in the Bay of Bengal. Of the 11 tests held earlier, 9 were successful. Test: The interceptor missile was test fired from the complex of Abdul Kalam Island (formerly known as Wheeler Island) in Balasore district off Odisha coast. It hit the target which another ballistic missile i.e. a modified version of Prithvi weapon system. The missile also validated various parameters of the interceptor in flight mode. Key facts AAD interceptor missile Ashwin is the advanced version of low altitude supersonic ballistic interceptor missile. It is indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile.
Features: It is capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile is 7.5-meter long and weighs around 1.2 tonnes. It has a diameter of less than 0.5 meter. It is single-stage solid rocket propelled guided missile. It is equipped with a hi-tech computer, a navigation system and an electro-mechanical activator. The missile also has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars Comment With this successful test India became the fourth country in the world to have full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system. Other three countries are United States, Russia and Israel. The successful test will also pave the way for the induction of the supersonic interceptor missiles in the Indian armed forces. It will also strengthen India’s position in the very exclusive and elite Ballistic Missile Defence club of the other three countries.

China launches Yaogan-30 remote sensing satellite

China has successfully launched Yaogan-30 remote-sensing satellite into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) using the Long March-2D rocket. The rocket was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center located in Gobi desert in northwest China’s Gansu Province. It was the 227th flight of the Long March rocket series and was also the second orbital launch from the Jiuquan Satellite launch Center in 2016. Key facts The Yaogan-30 satellite was built by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). It is part of second generation of the Yaogan series inaugurated in 2008. The first Yaogan satellite was launched in 2006. Features: It has two deployable solar arrays along with batteries. It uses the CAST-2000 platform, which has a dry mass of about one metric ton.
Applications: Yaogan-30 will be used for land surveys, crop yield estimates, experiments and disaster relief purposes. Western Critics believe that Yaogan-30 is fitted with electronic intelligence (ELINT), electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar-sensing equipment to conduct military reconnaissance on a global scale. The Long March 2D is a two-stage rocket mainly used to launch a variety of satellites to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and SSO.

UR Rao becomes first Indian to be awarded IAF’s ‘Hall of Fame’ Award

Former ISRO Chairman and space scientist Prof Udupi Ramachandra Rao became the first Indian to be given ‘Hall of Fame’ Award by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). Mr. Rao has been selected for the prestigious award for his outstanding contribution to the progress of astronautics within the framework of the IAF activities. He will receive the award at the 67th International Astronautical Congress to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico in September 2016. About UR Rao He had served as Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1984 to 1994. Under his leadership, India had initiated the development of the geostationary launch vehicle GSLV and the development of cryogenic technology in 1991.
He was also responsible for successful launch of INSAT satellites during his stint at ISRO. He also had served as the first Chairman of Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of the ISRO. Presently, he is the Chairman of Governing Council of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad. Currently, he is also Chancellor of Indian Institute for Space Science and Technology (IIST) at Thiruvananthapuram. Awards and Honours: Padma Bhushan (1976). He was inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington in March 2013 at a ceremony organised by the Society of Satellite Professionals International. IAF Hall of Fame: It consists of a permanent gallery of these personalities, including biographical information, citation and a picture in a special part of the IAF web presence.  

Communication Process

The communication process is the way that we share our feelings, thoughts and ideas with other people and have them understand those feelings, thoughts and ideas. We communicate by listening, speaking and observing, but sometimes people find the process of communication difficult: it can be hard to let others become involved, making it important to understand how to create successful, natural communication. You may need to get a better understanding of the communication model and process before achieving effective communication. Below is a picture that helps you understand the process.

Communication Process and the Four Key Elements

Communication process lets us create a common meaning between the receiver and the sender. This means that people who follow the communication process can be more productive in every area of life, both professional and private. As the model of communication shows in the picture, to understand the process, you must get good understanding of the four key elements of it.

1

Sender

The sender is the body who initiates the conversation, whether it is an organization, group, or individual. It is the sender who takes responsibility for the initial success of any message which will be influenced by the sender's cultural influences, perceptions, skills, knowledge, attitudes and experiences. When the sender send message, he will begin with the encoding process, which involves translating the information he wants to convey into a message made up of symbols representing concepts or ideas, which is then used for communication. The symbols can involve different types of communication, such as gestures, words or languages.

2

Channel

The sender uses a channel or medium to transmit the message as this is the method used to convey it. The majority of channels are written or oral, but the expansion of technology has led to an increase in the popularity of visual channels as well. The most common channels include the phone, reports, letters and memos with the effectiveness based on the communication’s characteristics.

3

Receiver

The person or group that the message is directed at is the receiver and they work to decode the sender’s messages. Their level of comprehension depends on their topic of the knowledge, the trust and relationship between them and the sender, and how receptive they are to the message. The receiver’s interpretation of the message is influenced by the culture, perceptions, skills, knowledge, attitudes and experiences, just like the factors that influence the sender’s encoding.

4

Feedback

The final step in the communication process is feedback and this is the receiver’s response to the message from the sender. It may be nonverbal or verbal and range from internal feedback like self-examination to external feedback that can actually be seen. The feedback gives the sender the necessary information so that they know whether they need to adjust their message to make it more effective. Feedback is essential to knowing whether the receiver understands the message correctly.

5

Video

The video below explain types of communication clearly and directly.

Barriers in Communication Process

During the process, it is common to experience a miscommunication or misunderstanding because of barriers that occur at any time during the communication process. These barriers prevent understanding the thoughts and ideas of others, and it can be both internal and external.

1

Internal Barriers

An internal barrier is something that takes place involving one of the participants in the conversation. They can include emotions, lack of experiences in common, problems at home, a negative attitude, past experiences, mistrust, fear, a lack of interest, poor listening skills and fatigue.

2

External Barriers

External barriers are not controlled by the sender or receiver; instead they tend to be related to the surrounding environment. These may include the environment, the sender using terms that are too technical for the receiver, the time of day, a poor phone connection, non-functional e-mail, distractions and noise.

Successful and Effective Communication

However, it is possible to overcome barriers in the communication process by following advices for successful communication, which will mainly include four aspects.

1

Learn to Listen

Listening is a crucial part of effective communication. It involves doing more than just understanding the information and words; you must also work to understand how the sender feels about the topic. By listening effectively, you will create a stronger connection with the sender because they will feel understood and heard. You will also be able to create a safe environment so everyone feels comfortable to express their opinions, feelings and ideas. Effective listening also relieves negative emotions and saves time. To improve your listening ability, focus on the speaker completely, don’t interrupt them, avoid being judgmental and show you are interested.

2

Use Nonverbal Signals

Nonverbal signals are the one of the most important component of communicating topics that we are passionate about. These signals include body movement, gestures, posture, vocal tone, body movements, eye contact, breathing and muscle tension. Improve the effectiveness of the communication process by relying on open body language like having your arms uncrossed and being in an open stance. To improve nonverbal signal use, observe people, pay attention to differences between people and group interactions, rely on signals that match your words, and rely on body language to show positive feelings.

3

Minimize Stress

Stress can create a barrier to the communication process by interrupting your ability to act appropriately or think creatively and clearly. It also increases the chances of misreading someone. You don’t always have time to completely eliminate stress before communicating with someone, but you can minimize its effects by recognizing the signs, giving yourself a moment to relax, focusing on deep breaths or muscle contractions, finding humor, being willing to compromise, or simply agreeing to disagree.

4

Have Emotional Awareness

Being emotionally aware is a final key to effective communication as you may be unable to communicate your thoughts or feelings clearly if you aren’t aware of them yourself. That in turn leads to frustration, misunderstanding or even conflict. By being aware of your emotions, you can empathize with others, understand your goals, remain motivated, communicate effectively and clearly, and create relationships filled with strength and trust.