CIVILS WEEKLY

  DIGITAL OCEAN Union Minister of Earth Sciences inaugurated the web-based application “Digital Ocean (www.do.incois.gov.in)” developed by INCOIS of M/o Earth sciences. About: Digital Ocean is a first of its kind digital platform for Ocean Data Management. It includes a set of applications developed to organize and present heterogeneous oceanographic data by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology. It facilitates an online interactive web-based environment for data integration, 3D and 4D data visualization, data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features, data fusion and multi-format download of disparate data from multiple sources ‘Digital Ocean’ will help to share knowledge about the ocean with a wide range of users including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry and policy makers. Digital Ocean also provides free access to information to the general public and the common man. RUTHENIUM-106 Bha

  AKASH MISSILE SYSTEM Union Cabinet has approved export of Akash Missile System and has created a Committee for faster Approval of Defence Exports. About: Akash is a Surface to Air Missile with a range of 25 Kms. The missile was inducted in 2014 in IAF and in 2015 in Indian Army. Akash is country’s important missile with over 96 percent indigenisation. After its induction in the Services, interest is shown in Akash missile by many friendly countries. The Cabinet approval will facilitate Indian manufactures to participate in RFI/RFP issued by various countries. So far, Indian defence exports included parts/components etc. The export of big platforms was minimal. This initiative of the Cabinet would help the country to improve its defence products and make them globally competitive. SAHAYAK-NG Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‘SAHAYAK-NG’ India’s first indigenously designed and developed Air Dropped

  NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD (NCMC) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated fully operational National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, which was started in Ahmedabad last year. About: This one card will give integrated access to the commuters wherever they travel, whichever public transport they take. The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). NCMC will allow passengers with RuPay debit card, issued in the last 18 months by 23 banks to be swiped for Metro travel. This facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022. NCMC is an automatic fare collection system. It will turn smartphones into an inter-operable transport card that commuters can use eventually to pay for Metro, bus and suburban railways services. It will allow entry and exit from Metro stations with the help of a smartphone, known as the automatic fare collection (AFC) system. NMPB CONSORTIA FO

  AYUSHMAN BHARAT PM-JAY SEHAT Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT to extend coverage to all residents of Jammu & Kashmir. About: The scheme will provide a financial cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family for in-patient care and surgical procedures. Getting free treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees under this scheme would improve the ease of living. Right now about 6 lakh families of the state are getting the benefit of Ayushman Bharat Scheme. All 21 lakh families will get the same benefit after the SEHAT scheme. Another benefit of this scheme would be that treatment is not limited to government and private hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir only. Rather, treatment can be availed from thousands of hospitals empanelled under this scheme in the country. ICEBERG A68 The giant Antarctic iceberg A68a has become a cause for concern for South Georgia Island. About: The giant iceberg A68, the biggest block of free-floating ice from Antarctica with an area of about 5,800 sq.