NATIONAL POLICE K-9 JOURNAL
Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the inaugural issue of the National Police K-9 Journal in New Delhi.
About:
- It is the first such publication in the country on the subject of Police Service K9s, Police Dogs.
- This is a unique initiative that will further enrich the subjects related to Police Service Dog, K-9, PSK teams in the country.
- The journal comprises different sections in Hindi and English. It is a biannual journal which will be released in April and October every year.
BUTA SINGH
Former Union Minister Buta Singh passed away at the age of 86.
About:
- Buta Singh (1934 – 2021) was an Indian politician and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. He was elected to the Lok Sabha eight-times.
- He served as Union Home Minister in 1986 under Rajiv Gandhi Government, Minister for Agriculture, Parliamentary Affairs, Civil Supplies, Housing, Shipping, Transport and Sports.
- His term as Home Minister will be remembered for the Rajiv Gandhi government’s decision to allow shilanyas of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya in 1989, and his role in bringing down many elected chief ministers, including in Tamil Nadu.
- He was very closely involved with Indira Gandhi in Operation Blue Star and as a minister he oversaw reconstruction of the Golden Temple following that exercise.
- He also served as the Governor of Bihar and Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
QUANTUM RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR (QRNG)
The DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT), a DRDO facility based in Mumbai, has developed a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) which has the ability to detect random quantum events and convert those into a stream of binary digits.
About:
- The Laboratory has developed a fibre-optic branch path based QRNG.
- Branch path based QRNG is based on the principle that if a single photon is incident on a balanced beam splitter, it will take either of the beam-splitter output paths randomly.
- As the path chosen by photon is random, the randomness is translated to sequence of bits.
Significance:
- With this development India enters the club of countries who have the technology to achieve the generation of random numbers based on the Quantum Phenomenon.
- Random numbers have essential roles in various fields ranging from quantum communication, cryptography applications like key generation, key wrapping, authentication along with scientific simulations, lotteries and fundamental physics experiments.
- The generation of perfect randomness is generally considered impossible with classical methodologies.
- Quantum mechanics has the inherent potential of providing true random numbers and thus has become the preferred option for scientific applications requiring randomness.
AIIMS RAJKOT
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Rajkot.
About:
- AIIMS Rajkot will boost health infrastructure, medical education and provide employment opportunities in Gujarat.
- It will be built at an estimated cost Rs. 1195 crores, and is expected to be completed by mid of 2022. The state-of-the-art 750 bed hospital will also have a 30 bed AAYUSH block. It will have 125 MBBS seats and 60 nursing seats.
- In the last 6 years, work on 10 new AIIMS has started and many have been inaugurated.
ETHANOL DISTILLATION CAPACITY
Union Cabinet has approved modified scheme to enhance ethanol distillation capacity in the country.
About:
- This will increase income of farmers as other feed stocks such as cereals (rice, wheat, barley, corn & sorghum), sugarcane and sugar beet to be used for production of ethanol.
- For benefiting a large population of farmers, Government is encouraging distilleries to produce ethanol from maize & rice available with FCI.
DRAFT MODEL STANDING ORDERS FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, MINING SECTOR AND SERVICE SECTOR
Pursuant to section 29 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Central Government has published the draft Model Standing Orders for the Manufacturing Sector, Mining Sector and Service Sector in the official gazette. Keeping in view the needs of the services sector, a separate Model Standing Orders for Services Sector has been prepared first time.
The salient features of these Model Standing Orders are as follows:
- The model standing orders adopted in respect of an industrial establishment shall also be applicable to all other industrial units of the industrial establishment irrespective of location.
- Uniformity has been maintained in all the three Model Standing Orders while providing some flexibility considering the sector-specific requirements.
- All the three Model Standing Orders encourage employer for use of information technology in dissemination of information to the workers through electronic mode.
- To provide safeguard to IT industry, “Involvement in unauthorized access of any IT system, computer network of the employer/ customer/client” has been prescribed as a misconduct.
- The concept of “Work from home” has been formalized in the Model Standing Orders for Service Sector.
- “Habitual” with respect to indiscipline has been defined if the worker found guilty of any misconduct three or more times in preceding twelve months.
- The Model Standing Orders for Services Sector inter alia provides that in case of IT Sector, the working hour shall be as per agreement or conditions of appointment between employer and workers.
- Rail Travel Facility has been extended to the workers in the mining sector. Presently, it is being availed by the workers in coal mines only.
SCHEME FOR REMISSION OF DUTIES AND TAXES ON EXPORTED PRODUCTS (RoDTEP)
Government has decided to extend the benefit of the scheme for Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) to all export goods to boost export.
About:
- The scheme will refund to exporters the embedded Central, State and local taxes that were so far not being given rebate or refunded.
- The refund will be credited in the exporter's ledger account with Customs and used to pay Basic Customs duty on imported goods. The credits can also be transferred to other importers.
- The RoDTEP rates will be notified shortly by the Department of Commerce, based on the recommendation of a Committee chaired by former Commerce and Home Secretary Dr. G.K. Pillai. The final Report of the Committee is expected shortly.
OIL SECTOR
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas launched the missed call facility for LPG consumers in Bhubaneswar.
About:
- Indian Oil LPG customers can now give a missed call to 8454955555 for refill booking for all India and for new connection for Bhubaneswar city.
- The missed call service for new connection will soon be expanded to the rest of Odisha and subsequently to the entire country.
COLONEL NARENDRA "BULL" KUMAR
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of Colonel Narendra 'Bull' Kumar.
About:
- Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar (1933 – 2020) was an Indian soldier–mountaineer.
- He is known for his expeditions across various mountain ranges such as the Himalayas and Karakorams, and respective subranges such as the Pir Panjals and Saltoro Mountains.
- His reconnaissance efforts on the Siachen glacier were key to the Indian Army's reclamation of the forward posts of the glacier in Operation Meghdoot in 1984.
- He was the deputy leader of the first successful Indian Mount Everest expedition in 1965.
DISABILITY COMPENSATION TO CAPF PERSONNEL
Centre has decided to extend Disability Compensation to all serving employees, if they get disabled in the line of duty while performing their service and are retained in service in spite of such disablement.
About:
- This was announced by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
- The move will particularly provide a huge relief to young Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel like CRPF, BSF and CISF since disability in performance of duties is generally reported in their case due to constraints of job requirement as well as hostile or difficult work-environment.
ACTION AGENDA FOR AN ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT(AAAN)
The Minister of Science & Technology and Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan released the report Action Agenda for an AtmaNirbhar Bharat (AAAN) prepared by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) in New Delhi.
About:
- The aim of the Action Report is to create a sense of Scientific Social Responsibility and to lay down imperatives for future of technology in India. It looks at the challenges, possibilities and how to find solutions, he said.
- This comprehensive action plan(AAAN) has been structured with reference to timeline, highlighting short/medium and long term interventions in various identified sectors.
- The document also specifically defines policy recommendations in identified domains of Innovation and Technology development, Technology Adoption/Diffusion, Boosting up Manufacturing and Productivity, Trade and Globalization, Internet Policy and Data Management & Education and Training, AI among others.
DATA ON POLICE ORGANIZATIONS
Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) released Data on Police Organizations as on January 1, 2020.
Key findings:
- The number of people getting police protection across India stood at 19,467 in 2019 and 21,300 in 2018 -- a reduction of 1,833 (or 8.7 per cent).
- The number of police personnel put on protection duty in 2018 and 2019 for ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges, bureaucrats, etc., outnumbered their sanctioned strength for the job by around 35 per cent.
- West Bengal had the maximum of 3,142 people under police protection in 2019, followed by Punjab (2,594), Bihar (2,347) and Jammu and Kashmir (1,184).
- However, the maximum sanctioned strength and deployment of police personnel in such duties took place in Delhi, where the number of protectees stood at 503 in 2018 and 501 in 2019, the data showed.
- The number of police personnel sanctioned for the protection duties in Delhi was 7,144 in 2018 and 7,294 in 2019 while the deployment numbers stood at 7,144 and 8,182, respectively, it showed.
INDIAN SARS-CoV-2 GENOMIC CONSORTIA (INSACOG)
The Government of India has launched the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG).
About:
- The overall aim of the Consortium is to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis through a multi-laboratory network. This vital research consortium will also assist in developing potential vaccines in the future.
- It comprises 10 labs namely DBT-NIBMG Kalyani, DBT-ILS Bhubaneswar, ICMR-NIV Pune, DBT-NCCS Pune, CSIR-CCMB Hyderabad, DBT-CDFD Hyderabad, DBT-InSTEM/ NCBS Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, CSIR-IGIB Delhi, and NCDC Delhi.
- INSACOG will have a high level Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee which will provide guidance and oversight to the consortium specially for policy matters and it will have a Scientific Advisory Group for scientific and technical guidance.
- Coordinated by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) along with MoH&FW, ICMR, and CSIR, the strategy and roadmap of the National SARS CoV2 Genome Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG) has been prepared.
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR VACCINES AND IMMUNISATION (GAVI)
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a member on the GAVI Board.
About:
- Harsh Vardhan will be representing the South East Area Regional Office(SEARO)/ Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI Board.
- Harsh Vardhan will be representing India from 1stJanuary 2021 until 31st December 2023.
- The Board normally meets twice a year in June and November/ December and holds an annual retreat, normally in March or April.
- The GAVI Board is responsible for strategic direction and policy-making, oversees the operations of the Vaccine Alliance and monitors programme implementation.
TiHAN-IIT HYDERABAD
Union Minister of Education laid foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s first Test bed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial).
About:
- The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has sanctioned Rs. 135 crores to IIT Hyderabad under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set up a Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.).
- The Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation Systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Remotely Operated Vehicles at IIT Hyderabad, known as 'TiHAN Foundation' has been incorporated as a Section-8 company by the institute in June 2020.
- TiHAN Foundation is a multi-departmental initiative, including researchers from Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical and Aerospace, Civil, Mathematics, and Design at IIT Hyderabad with collaboration and support from reputed institutions and industry.
- Special Features of this Facility include Test Tracks, Emulation of Real-World Scenarios, State of the Art Simulation Technologies, Road Infrastructure, V2X Communication, Drone Runways and Landing Area, Mechanical Integration Facility, Centralized Control Room/Ground Control Station, Hangars and many more.
MetCenterLeh
The Union Minister of Earth Sciences inaugurated Meteorological (Met) Centre at Leh (Ladakh).
About:
- Located at a height of 3500 m, Meteorological Centre Leh will be the highest meteorological centre in India.
- The Centre will be a world class facility for high altitude meteorology and will cater to the various kinds of weather and climate needs of the people and the administration of Ladakh.
- It will provide forecast for important tourist places like Nubra, Changthang, Pangong Lake, Zanskar, Kargil, Drass, Dha-Baima (Aryan valley), Khalsi among others.
‘GINGER’ PROCESSING PLANT AT RI-BHOUI
North East’s first-ever specialised "Ginger" Processing Plant at district Ri-Bhoui in Meghalaya is being revived and is likely to become functional in the beginning of 2021.
About:
- The only Ginger Processing Plant of North East India was established around the year 2004 but has remained non-functional for many years.
- The NERAMAC has now undertaken the responsibility of reviving it and initiated steps to operationalize the closed Plant through PPP mode.
- The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) is a PSU working under the aegis of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
LIGHTNING
Lightning strikes have caused 1,771 deaths between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, according to a report published on December 31, 2020 on lightning incidents in India.
About:
- In 2018-19 period, there were 2,800 deaths and the drop has been attributed to the efforts of various stakeholders, including CROPC.
- Uttar Pradesh with 293 deaths, Madhya Pradesh 248, Bihar 221, Odisha 200 and Jharkhand 172 deaths together accounted for more than 60 per cent of the numbers, which are 33 per cent of total fatalities from all natural disasters during the time period.
- Odisha had 11.20 lakh plus lightning strikes—the highest in the country—with only 200 casualties. During Cyclone Fani, the state saw more than one lakh intense lightning strikes on May 3 and May 4 in 2019.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF SECURITIES COMMISSIONS (IOSCO)
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has become an Associate Member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
About:
- The IOSCO is the international organization that brings together the world's securities regulators, covering more than 95% of the world’s securities markets, and is the global standard setter for the securities sector.
- IOSCO works closely with the G20 and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in setting up the standards for strengthening the securities markets.
- The IOSCO Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation have been endorsed by FSB as one of the key standards for sound financial systems.
- It was founded in 1983 and is Headquartered in Madrid, Spain.
PARADIP PORT
The Union Cabinet has approved the project 'Deepening and Optimization of Inner Harbour Facilities including Development of Western Dock on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode to handle cape size vessels at Paradip Port'.
About:
- The proposed project envisages Construction of Western Dock Basin with facilities to handle cape size vessels by the selected BOT Concessionaire with an ultimate capacity of 25 MTPA (Million tonnes per annum) in two phases of 12.50 MTPA each.
- Financial Implications: The estimated cost of the project is Rs.3,004.63 Crore. This includes development of the new Western Dock on BOT basis and capital dredging by the selected Concessionaire at a cost of Rs.2,040 Crore and Rs.352.13 Crore respectively.
- The police dog squad can act as a force multiplier to ensure the safety of society, much like the way drones or satellites are being used in the country.
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