1. Helium is inert.
2. Helium has a low boiling point.
3. It is non-toxic
4. Helium is a light gas.

All  of the above factors make helium an ideal candidate for use in rockets.

Additional Information

Why do spacecraft and rockets use helium?

• Helium is inert — it does not react with other substances or combust .
• Its atomic number is 2, making it the second lightest element after hydrogen.
• Helium has a very low boiling point (– 268.9 degree Celsius), allowing it to remain a gas even in super-cold environments, an important feature because many rocket fuels are stored in that temperature range.

How is helium used in spacecraft?

• Helium is used to pressurise fuel tanks, ensuring fuel flows to the rocket’s engines without interruption; and for cooling systems.
• As fuel and oxidiser are burned in the rocket’s engines, helium fills the resulting empty space in the tanks, maintaining the overall pressure inside.Because it is non-reactive, it can safely mingle with the tanks’ residual contents

Is it prone to leaks?

• Helium’s small atomic size and low molecular weight mean its atoms can escape through small gaps or seals in storage tanks and fuel systems.
• But because there is very little helium in the Earth’s atmosphere, leaks can be easily detected — making the gas important for spotting potential faults in a rocket or spacecraft’s fuel systems.

• The city of Port Blair is the entry point of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was named after Archibald Blair, a naval surveyor and lieutenant in the Bombay Marine. Blair was the first officer to carry out a thorough survey of the Andaman Islands.
• The Revolt of 1857 resulted in a large number of prisoners for the British, prompting the immediate renovation and resettlement of Port Blair as a penal colony. Most of the convicts received life imprisonment at Port Blair. Several of them were hanged, while many died due to disease and the degrading conditions in the region.
• With the strengthening of the Indian Independence Movement in the late 19th century, a huge cellular jail was established here by 1906. Popularly known as Kaala Paani, it housed several freedom fighters, including Veer Damodar Savarkar.

Why was Port Blair’s connection with the imperial Cholas and Srivijaya?

• Some historical records suggest that the Andaman Islands were used as a strategic naval base by the 11th century Chola emperor, Rajendra I to carry out an attack on Srivijaya, which is in present day Indonesia.
• As per an inscription found at Thanjavur dated to 1050 CE, the Cholas referred to the island as Ma-Nakkavaram land (great open/ naked land), which possibly led to the modern name of Nicobar under the British.
• Several scholars have speculated about the reason for the attack on Srivijaya. Nilakanta Sastri, in his work on the Cholas had suggested that “we have to assume either some attempt on the part of Srivijaya to throw obstacles in the way of the Chola trade with the East, or more probably, simply a desire on the part of Rajendra to extend his digvijaya to the countries across the sea, so well known to his subjects at home, and add luster to his crown. 
• Others like the American historian G W Spencer interprets the Srivijaya expedition as to be part of the Chola expansionism which had been ongoing for decades culminating in wars with other empires of South India and Sri Lanka.

Additional Information

• Indian onions have two crop cycles, first harvesting which starts from November to January and the second harvesting from January to May.
• Indian farmers grow red and white onions, but white onions are more prevalent in some parts of the country
• The Major Onion producing states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Telangana. Maharashtra ranks first in Onion production with a share of 35% followed by Madhya Pradesh with a share of 17 % in 2023-24 (2nd Advance Estimate).
• Major Export Destinations (2023-24) :Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka,United Arab Emts, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Indonesia.

• The onion is a hardy cool-season biennial but usually grown as annual crop. The onion has narrow, hollow leaves and a base which enlarges to form a bulb. The bulb can be white, yellow, or red and require 80 to 150 days to reach harvest.
• Onion is a temperate crop but can be grown under a wide range of climatic conditions such as temperate, tropical and subtropical climate.
• The best performance can be obtained in a mild weather without the extremes of cold and heat and excessive rainfall. However, onion plant is hardy and in the young stage can withstand freezing temperature also. 
•  In India, short-day onion is grown in the plains and requires 10-12 hours day length. The long-day onion is grown in hills requiring 13-14 hours day length.
• It requires about 70% relative humidity for good growth. It can grow well in places where the average annual rainfall is 650-750 mm with good distribution during the monsoon period.
• Onion can be grown in all types of soils such as sandy loam, clay loam, silt loam and heavy soils. However, the best soil for successful onion cultivation is deep, friable loam and alluvial soils with good drainage, moisture holding capacity and sufficient organic matter. 

As per section 5 of the The Foreign Trade (Development And Regulation) Act, 1992, the Central Government may, from time to time, formulate and announce by notification in the Official Gazette, the export and import policy and may also, in the like manner, amend that policy.

Additional Information

• Minimum Export Price(MEP) is the price below which an exporter is not allowed to export the commodity from India.
• It is imposed in view of the rising domestic retail / wholesale price or production disruptions in the country.
• It is a kind of quantitative restriction to trade. 
• This is intended to be imposed for short durations and is removed when situations change
• MEP was first implemented on basmati rice in FY11 to deter exports, and is typically implemented to contain surging domestic prices because of production disruptions.

The reason behind this is to keep the CRS insulated from the influence of the country’s railway establishment and prevent conflicts of interest.

What is the History of CRS?

• Indian Railway Board Act, 1905
  • :As per the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905, and a notification by the then Department of Commerce and Industry, the Railway Board was entrusted with powers and functions of the government under various sections of the Railway Act and was also authorised to make rules for railway operations in India.
  • This effectively made the Railway Board the safety controlling authority for railways in India.
• Government of India Act of 1935:
  • Section 181(3) of the Government of India Act of 1935 stated that there should be a separate authority responsible for ensuring the safety of both passengers and railway personnel. This authority would investigate accidents and determine their causes.
  • In 1939, a panel headed by the then chief inspecting officer of the British Railways, A.H.L. Mount, noted that the Railway Board was appreciative of the separation argument and “would welcome the change”.
• Separation from Inspectorate:
  • In May 1941, the Railway Inspectorate was separated from the Railway Board and placed under the control of the Department of Posts and Air at that time.
  • Later in 1961, the Inspectorate was renamed as CRS (Commissioner of Railway Safety), and it has been under the authority of the central ministry responsible for civil aviation in India ever since.
• Duties—>http://crs.gov.in/duties/