PARAM ANANTA Supercomputer commissioned at IIT, Gandhinagar
Param Ananta, is a state of the art supercomputer at IIT Gandhinagar dedicated to the nation under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which was commissioned. This indigenous software stack is developed by C-DAC and is a Make in India initiative.
About the MoU:
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IIT Gandhinagar and the Centre for Development in Advanced Computing (C-DAC) on October 12, 2020, to establish this 838 TeraFlops Supercomputing Facility under NSM.
- The system is equipped with a mix of CPU nodes, GPU nodes, high memory nodes, high throughput storage, and high-performance Infiniband interconnect to cater to the computing needs of various scientific and engineering applications.
About the Param Ananta:
- The Param Ananta is based on direct contact liquid cooling technology to obtain a high power usage effectiveness and thereby reduce the operational cost.
- The Param Ananta Supercomputing Facility will greatly benefit IIT Gandhinagar’s R&D activities in multidisciplinary domains of science and technology, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data science; computational fluid dynamics (CFD); bio-engineering for genome sequencing and DNA studies.
- Computational biology and bioinformatics are used in the prediction and detection of gene networks; atomic and molecular sciences that help in understanding how a drug binds to a particular protein; climate change and environment studies for extreme weather predictions and simulation of models which can predict the onset of a cyclone;
- Energy studies which will help in carrying out design simulation and optimization of energy conversion devices at various scales; fire dynamics simulation; nanotechnology; robotics; applied mathematics; astronomy and astrophysics; material sciences; quantum mechanics; and studies on civil engineering and structural mechanics to understand the dynamic behaviour of buildings, bridges, and complex structure.
PM Narendra Modi Unveils PM CARES for Children Scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the benefits of the PM CARES for Children scheme for children who lost their parents due to the Covid-19 pandemic. PM Modi has promised Rs 4,000 a month for basic needs, financial support for schooling, scholarship for higher education, and free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Prime Minister transferred scholarships to school-going children. A passbook of PM CARES for Children, and a health card under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana were handed over to the children during the programme.
About the PM CARES scheme:
- PM CARES for Children Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 29 May 2021.
- The aim was to support children who have lost both their parents or legal guardian or adoptive parents or surviving parents to the Covid-19 pandemic, during the period from 11 March 2020 to 28 February 2022.
The objective of the PM CARES scheme:
- The objective of the Scheme is to ensure comprehensive care and protection of children in a sustained manner by providing them boarding and lodging, empowering them through education and scholarships, and equipping them for self-sufficient existence with the financial support of Rs. 10 lakhs on attaining 23 years of age and ensuring their wellbeing through health insurance.
- The portal is a single-window system which facilitates the approval process and all other assistance for children.
World Milk Day 2022 observed on 1st June
World Milk Day 2022
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations adopted June 1 as World Milk Day. The day is marked to recognise milk as global food and to celebrate the dairy industry. The day is intended to provide an opportunity to bring attention to activities that are connected with the dairy sector. The day has been observed on June 1 each year since 2001.
Significance of the World Milk Day 2022:
The main of World Milk Day is to raise public awareness about the value of milk in people’s lives. It is the first meal consumed by a kid after birth, and it may be the only food consumed throughout life. The idea of World Milk Day is to celebrate the contributions of the milk and dairy sector to the world.
The theme of World Milk Day 2022:
The theme of World Milk Day 2022 is to bring attention to the climate change crisis and how the dairy sector can reduce its impact on the planet. The aim is to achieve ‘Dairy Net Zero’ by reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years and improving waste management in order to make the dairy sector sustainable.
Important Takeaways For All Competitive Exams:
- FAO Headquarters: Rome, Lazio;
- FAO Director-General: Qu Dongyu;
- FAO Founded: 16 October 1945;
- The parent organization of FAO: United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Tata Motors Inks Pact For Potential Acquisition Of Ford India’s Plant In Gujarat
Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd, and Ford India Private Limited (FIPL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Gujarat (GoG) for the potential acquisition of FIPL’s Sanand vehicle manufacturing facility. The MoU includes the potential acquisition of the facility’s land & buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant, machinery and equipment and transfer of all eligible employees of FIPL Sanand’s vehicle manufacturing operations, subject to the signing of definitive agreements and receipt of relevant approvals.
FIPL’s Sanand vehicle manufacturing facility:
The Ford India vehicle manufacturing site at Sanand is a state-of-the-art site. TPEML would invest into new machinery and equipment which is necessary to commission and make the unit ready to produce its vehicles. With the proposed investments, it would establish an installed capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which would be scalable to more than 400,000 units.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Tata Motors Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai;
- Tata Motors Ltd Founder: J. R. D. Tata;
- Tata Motors Ltd Founded: 1945, Mumbai.
World Health Organization to award Jharkhand for tobacco control
The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen Jharkhand for the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Award-2022, in recognition of the state’s efforts to reduce tobacco usage. The award will be presented to the State Tobacco Control Cell of the Health Department in New Delhi in honour of World No Tobacco Day. The coveted award, which honoured the State Government’s achievements in reducing tobacco usage, was given by the National Tobacco Control Program in Jharkhand.
Key Points:
- According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)-1 report, the NTCP was begun in Jharkhand in 2012, when the state’s tobacco prevalence rate was 51.1 percent, with 48 percent of smokers.
- According to the GATS-2 study, tobacco users in the state decreased to 38.9%, with 35.4 percent of those using smokeless tobacco.
Why was Jharkhand granted the WHO Award for Tobacco Control by the World Health Organization?
- The effective programmes and reach-out helplines for individuals who wished to stop tobacco are the reason for the decline of tobacco in Jharkhand.
- Simultaneously, tobacco usage in Jharkhand has decreased due to increased knowledge and limitations on tobacco use, such as the prohibition of smoking in public places and making it a criminal violation.
Award for World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in 2022:
- A maximum of six World No Tobacco Day Awards will be given to each World Health Organization zone. Two of the honorees may additionally receive particular acknowledgment from the WHO Director-General through the Director-General Special Recognition Award.
- A organization, an individual, a government agency, or a ministry may be nominated for the prize if they have made a substantial contribution to tobacco control.
Impact of Tobacco on Land:
- Every year, 3. 5 million hectares of land are destroyed throughout the world to plant tobacco. Tobacco farming also causes in 20,000 hectares of deforestation and soil deterioration each year.
- Each year, over 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are not properly disposed of throughout the world, resulting in the production of 1.69 billion pounds of harmful waste and the release of thousands of chemicals into the air, water, and land.
- According to the WHO, 600,000,000 trees have been felled and 22,000,000,000 tons of water have been utilized in the production of cigarettes.
Tobacco Composition:
- Carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, nicotine, phenol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and tobacco-specific nitrosamines are among the many compounds found in tobacco smoke (TSNAs).
Tobacco Day History:
- In 1987, the World Health Organization’s Member States established World No Tobacco Day to raise worldwide awareness of the tobacco pandemic and the needless death and disease it causes.
- The World Health Assembly enacted Resolution WHA40.38 in 1987, designating April 7, 1988 as “a world no-smoking day.”
Gujarat to host the National Education Ministers’ Conference
Gujarat will host the two-day National Education Ministers’ Conference. The meeting will be attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as well as other union ministers and state and union territory education ministers. Deliberations on how to boost the country’s education ecosystem are likely to take place during this conference. It will concentrate on the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, school skilling, and digital projects such as the National Digital Education Architecture and the National Educational Technology Forum, among others.
The state education ministers will also pay visits to Vidya Samiksha Kendra, BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics), NFSU (National Forensic Science University), and the International Automobile Centre of Excellence. Union Minister Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology, Dharmendra Pradhan was accompanied by Rajiv Chandrasekhar, Annapurna Devi, Minister of State for Education Dr. Subhash Sarkar, and senior officials from the Ministry of Education.
Important Takeaways For All Competitive Exams:
- Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology: Dharmendra Pradhan
- Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
- Minister of State for Education: Dr. Subhash Sarkar
Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed the first Arab free trade deal
Israel has inked its first free trade agreement with an Arab country, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement was signed in Dubai by Israel’s Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivay and the UAE’s Economy Minister Abdalla Bin Touq Al Marri. According to an official statement released by Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, the comprehensive, significant, and ground-breaking agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods and services, increase Israeli exports to the United Arab Emirates, and provide customs exemption on 96% of trade between the countries: food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment, medication, and more.
KEY POINTS:
- Regulatory and standardisation concerns, customs, collaboration, government procurement, e-commerce, and intellectual property rights are all covered under the agreement.
- This is a crucial visit for the State of Israel’s commercial relations with the United Arab Emirates, the first free trade zone deal with an Arab country.
- The free trade zone agreement they signed this morning is expected to improve bilateral commerce, remove barriers, and create new economic possibilities and collaborations, all of which will serve as a foundation for our common road forward.
- The commercial pact with Israel will usher in a new era in the Middle East. This agreement will boost economic growth and reinforce the notion that working together is the only way to build long-term, sustainable economies in a complicated environment.
- This arrangement signifies much bigger than just business: the value of strong collaborations. Our agreement will demonstrate to countries and governments all across the world that collaboration and conversation are the most effective ways to turn obstacles into opportunities.
Formation of Mountains and Types of Mountains
Mountain Formations
The formation of the mountain is a geological process that is associated with the large-scale movement of the Earth’s crust. The process of mountain Formations includes faulting, folding and volcanic activities. The formation of mountains leads to the formation of five types of mountains, volcanic mountains, Fold mountains, residual, fault-block mountains, and dome mountains. In this article, we will discuss the different types of mountains and their formation.
Types of Mountains
- Volcanic mountains- When the tectonic plates of the earth’s crust move it creates Volcanoes, which later erupt and form mountains. There are two types of volcanic mountains namely, composite cones or Stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes. Shield volcanoes have a gentle slope cone because of the low viscosity of the emitted material, for example, Mauna Loa with a slope of 4° -6°. The composite cones or Stratovolcanoes have deep slopes and are steeper because of the high viscosity of the emitted material, about 33° -40°, for example, Vesuvius and Mount Fuji
- Fold Mountains- When the tectonic plates or earth’s crust collide and subducts or ride one over the other, the plates fold and both the tectonic plates are pushed together forming mountains. The majority of continental mountains are formed due to folding and all are types of fold mountains. Examples of fold mountains are Balkan Mountain and Zagros Mountain.
- Residual Mountains- Residual mountains are formed by the erosion of elevated areas. The Balkan Peninsula is an example of a Residual Mountain.
- Block mountains- When large areas of earth or blocks of earth are broken vertically or horizontally it is from block mountains. There are two types of blocks mountain uplifted blocks and lowered blocks. These are called Horsts and Graben respectively. These are also known as Fault-Block mountains because these mountains are formed by the process of faulting.
- Dome mountains- The dome mountains are formed when a large amount of magma floats up to the crust from beneath and pushes the rocks on the surface, it forms round swelling in the crust. The magma is hot and in globs, there it makes the rock round. When the magma cools down the rock remains in a dome shape.
FAQs related to the formation of mountain
1. What are the types of mountains?
Ans. The types of mountains are volcanic mountains, fold mountains, block mountains, dome mountains, and residual mountains.
2. What is meant by Mountain formation?
Ans. Mountain Formations refers to the geographical process of formation of the mountains due to the movement of Earth’s crust.
3. What are some examples of the mountains formed by volcanoes?
Ans. Mount Kilimanjaro is an example of a volcanic mountain.
NCTE launches online portal to Simplify Process of Teacher Education Programme
National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has launched an online portal to simplify the process of recognition of teacher education programs in higher education institutions. The portal launched to streamline the process seeks to help right from the time of inviting application for courses till the stage of issue of recognition orders including the inspection of institutions. The applications for the recently launched four-year integrated teacher education programmes (ITEP) applications will be processed on this portal.
About the Teacher education programmes (ITEP):
- The four-year ITEP is available for all students who choose to teach as a profession after secondary, by choice. The integrated course will benefit students since they will save one year by finishing it in four years rather than the customary five years required by the present BEd plan.
About the National Council for Teacher Education:
NCTE under the Ministry of Education has devised the curriculum for this course as per NEP 2020 in such a way that it enables a student-teacher to get a degree in education as well as a specialized discipline such as History, Mathematics, Science, Arts, Economics, or Commerce.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- National Council for Teacher Education Founded: 1995, India;
- National Council for Teacher Education Chairperson: Shri Santosh Sarangi, IAS;
- National Council for Teacher Education Headquarters: New Delhi.
New law introduced in Canada aims to ‘freeze’ handgun ownership
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled new legislation that would implement “some of the harshest gun control measures” in decades, including a “freeze” on the country’s handgun purchases and sales. Trudeau cited a succession of mass shootings in Canada over the years, as well as recent assaults in the United States, as part of his government’s motivation to propose Bill C-21 during a press conference in Ottawa.
About Canada Gun Ownership:
- Canada has stronger gun ownership laws than the United States, gun control supporters have campaigned for tougher regulations in recent years in the wake of a number of mass shootings, including a 2017 attack on a Quebec mosque that killed six worshipers and a fatal shooting in Toronto in 2018.
- The AR-15 weapon, which was used by a shooter to murder 26 adults and children in the Sandy Hook tragedy in the United States in 2012, and the Ruger Mini-14 rifle, which was used by a gunman to murder 14 women at a Montreal engineering school in 1989, were among those banned.
- Long-gun magazines will also be permanently changed so that they can never store more than five rounds, and the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines would be prohibited.
Important Takeaways For All Competitive Exams:
- Canadian Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
- Canada is a country in North America’s northwestern region.
- It is the world’s second-largest country by total size, with a total area of 9,984,670 square kilometres.
- Falling behind Russia and just edging out China and the US.
- Its capital is Ottawa, while its largest city is Toronto.
- Its official languages are English and French.
- Its official currency is the Canadian dollar ($) (CAD). Its sole land bordering country is the United States, with whom it shares the world’s longest land border.
Indian-origin academic appointed to Bank of England’s monetary panel
Leading UK-based academic, Dr Swati Dhingra has been named as the first Indian-origin woman to be appointed as an external member of the Bank of England’s interest rate-setting committee. Dhingra will replace current external member, Michael Saunders, who has been on the MPC since August 2016.
According to the UK government’s Treasury Department, the appointment of external members to the MPC is designed to ensure that the committee benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that gained inside the Bank.
Who is Dr Swati Dhingra?
Dhingra, who studied at the University of Delhi and got her Masters’s from the Delhi School of Economics, will join the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on August 9 for a three-year term. Dhingra is an Associate Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics (LSE) having specialisation in international economics and applied microeconomics.
About the Bank of England:
The Bank of England’s independent MPC makes decisions about the operation of the monetary policy of the UK. It comprises the Governor of the Bank of England, its three Deputy Governors, one member of the Bank with responsibility for monetary policy and four external members who are appointed by the Chancellor.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- The Governor of the Bank of England: Andrew Bailey.
Bollywood Singer KK dies after performing at Kolkata concert
Noted Bollywood singer KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath) who mesmerized music lovers for over three decades is no more. The 53-year-old singer died in Kolkata after a live performance. KK was regarded as one of the top singers of Bollywood. KK sang in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Assamese.
KK sang numerous hit songs in various films. Some of KK’s most popular songs that remain his best songs include Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai (Gangster), Tadap Tadap Ke Is Dil Se (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam), Awarapan Banjarapan (Jism), Aankhon Mein Teri Ajab Si (Om Shanti Om) and Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno). His song Yaaron, released in 1999, made him a household name.
Former SBI officer Natarajan Sundar joins NARCL as MD & CEO
Former State Bank of India executive Natarajan Sundar joined National Assets Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) as Managing Director and CEO on May 30. Sundar is a banking veteran having served SBI for over 37 years and retired as Dy MD and Chief Credit Officer of the bank. He was selected through a competitive selection process through an open advertisement and was interviewed in April 2022, by a selection panel consisting of senior bankers from both the Public and Private sectors.
Other appointments:
NARCL appointed Mr Karnam Sekar as the Independent Director and Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. Sekar was the MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank from July 2019 to June 2020. Earlier he was MD and CEO of Dena Bank from Sep 2018 until its merger in April 2019.
About the NARCL:
NARCL, a special purpose vehicle set up as a joint initiative of Public and Private Sector Banks, is expected to take over bad loans from banks and focus on resolution and recoveries.
NARCL has shareholding from 15 Indian Banks and Canara Bank is the sponsor bank of this ARC. Together with IDRCL, they are presently engaged in completing the financial and legal due diligence of the identified accounts for takeover from lenders. NARCL is expected to make binding financial offers for a few accounts very shortly.
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary: Features and Importance
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bakhira Wildlife sanctuary is located 44 km east of Gorakhpur city and situated in Sant Kabir Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh. The Bakhira Wildlife sanctuary was established in 1990. On the occasion of World Wetland Day 2022, which is 2nd February 2022, Bakhira Wildlife sanctuary was listed as one of the Ramsar sites in India. It is the largest natural flood plain wetland in Uttar Pradesh. Along with this Khijadiya Wildlife sanctuary, Gujarat was also listed as a Ramsar site. The occasion was facilitated by the Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav. This makes the number of Ramsar sites in Uttar Pradesh up to 10 and makes India have the largest number of Ramsar sites among the countries of southern Asia. The total number of protected Wetlands in India also increased to 49.
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary: Features
In 1990, it was declared a bird sanctuary by the forest and Wildlife department, under the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The wildlife sanctuary is an open habitat and a large variety of migratory birds reside there. It is also known as Bakhira Tal which means wetlands. It is the largest natural wetlands of Uttar Pradesh and it is a perennial wetland. The source of water is rainfall and the river Ami (a tributary of the Rapti river). The area covered by the Bakhira wildlife sanctuary is about 29 sq km. The name Bakhira is from the village which is situated adjacent to the river. The villagers mostly depend on the wetlands for their livelihood. Bakhira is a bird sanctuary and there are more than 40,000 birds and those are of 30 different species. During winters there are a lot of migratory birds seen in the sanctuary. It keeps the birds safe from poaching and hunting.
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary: Importance
The wildlife sanctuary helps to conserve different species of birds found in India as well as migratory birds. Birds are a part of wildlife and it is equally important to conserve and protect them with proper measures. Bakhira wildlife sanctuary plays an important role in protecting wildlife. It provides breeding and nesting grounds to resident and migratory birds in huge numbers. The migratory birds are from China, Tibet, Siberia, and Europe. Bakhira wildlife sanctuary also provides shelter for aquatic animals and plants. There are various fishes, amphibians, and reptiles found there. However, the climatic conditions of wetlands are harsh and Rocky soil makes it hard for the aquatic species to flourish.
Gujarat government inked an agreement with Isha Outreach to conserve soil
Gujarat’s Climate Change Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the worldwide ‘Save Soil’ initiative. Sadhguru, the Founder and Spiritual Leader of Isha Outreach, and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Ahmedabad. Jaggi Sadguru has set out on a 100-day motorcycle tour to raise awareness about the soil regeneration campaign throughout the world. The 30,000-kilometer journey through Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East is an attempt to raise awareness among policymakers on the importance of soil. Shri Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev was in Gujarat as part of this tour to sign an MOU on ‘Save Soil.’
Key Points:
- Gujarat has become the first state in the country to join this worldwide soil protection campaign.
- The Isha Foundation has started the ‘Save Soil’ campaign to raise awareness about the global loss of soil fertility. Because soil quality has a significant impact on human and other organisms’ health, this movement can help address the soil issue by bringing people from all over the world together.
- Furthermore, good soil is required for the survival of life on Earth. Several micronutrients in the soil are critical for the establishment and development of agricultural crops.
In this regard, during the time of Shri Narendra Modi as Gujarat’s Chief Minister in 2006-07, Gujarat launched a foresight effort called “Soil Health Card” to protect the health and condition of the state’s soil. In the state, there are 115 soil health laboratories that measure nutrient levels in the soil. The ‘Soil Health Card’ plan has now been deployed across the country, thanks to the Prime Minister’s directive.
About the ‘Save Soil’ Campaign:
- The use of chemicals, as well as pollution and climate change, has had an influence on soil fertility. This has resulted in nutrient losses from agricultural crops.
- According to some estimates, desertification has resulted in the loss of 24% of the world’s rich soil. The UN has also issued a warning if the current practice continues.
- The UN has also warned that if present practices continue until 2050, almost 90% of the earth’s surface will be damaged.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given farmers a new slogan of ‘Back to Basics’ to encourage them to adopt Natural Farming in order to protect the country from this and maintain soil fertility.
- The State Government, led by Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, has enhanced this commitment by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Isha Outreach, Isha Foundation, titled “Save Soil.”
- The State Government’s Climate Change Department and Isha Outreach have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the goal of increasing public knowledge and engagement in different soil conservation programmes in Gujarat.
- The goals of this MoU are to avoid desertification, regulate soil salinity input, and boost green cover.
Attendees:
- On the occasion of the signing of the MOU, members of the State Cabinet, office bearers, senior secretaries, and members of the Isha Foundation, as well as Shri Sadhguru’s followers, were present.
Important Takeaway For All Competitive Exam:
- Gujarat Chief Minister: Bhupendra Bhai Patel
PM announces ‘Yoga for Humanity’ is the theme of eighth International Day of Yoga
Yoga for Humanity
‘Yoga for Humanity’ has been chosen as the theme of the eighth International Day of Yoga to be organised in India and across the globe on June 21. The theme has been selected after much deliberation and consultation and it appropriately portrays how yoga served humanity in alleviating suffering during the peak of the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the theme in his “Maan Ki Baat’ broadcast.
The main event of International Day of Yoga this year will be held in Mysuru, Karnataka. Focusing on the theme of ‘yoga for humanity’, special programmes have been designed this year for specially-abled people, the transgender population, women and children. Human values that are an integral part of yoga education in schools are also in focus.
About the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga:
The 8th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) will see many firsts, one of them is an innovative programme, named “Guardian Ring”, under which participation of people performing yoga will take place along with the movement of the sun from different countries, beginning from the east and marching towards west.
Defence Ministry signs Rs 2,971-crore deal for indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range missiles
The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with the defence public sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of the indigenously developed Astra Mk-I Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air to air missiles and associated equipment for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy at a cost of Rs 2,971 Crore.
The missile, for which successful trials have already been undertaken by the IAF, is fully integrated on the Su-30 MK-I fighter aircraft and will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft.
About the Astra Mk-I:
- Astra has a range of over 100 km with modern guidance and navigation techniques and has midcourse guidance and RF seeker based terminal guidance to achieve target destruction with pinpoint accuracy, as the DRDO had stated earlier.
- Air to Air missile with BVR capability provides large standoff ranges to fighter aircraft which can neutralise the adversary aircraft without exposing themselves to adversary air defence measures, thereby gaining and sustaining superiority of the air space.
- A longer range and more sophisticated Astra-Mk2 is under development by DRDO and once it is inducted will free up the dependency on imports in the BVR segment.
Jan Aushadhi stores surpassed the Rs 100 crore revenue threshold
Jan Aushadhi
Jan Aushadhi stores surpassed Rs 100 crore for the first time. More than 1,600 generic pharmaceuticals, 250 surgical equipment, nutraceuticals, Ayush products, and Suvidha Sanitary pads are available in Jan Aushadhi locations. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is implemented by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI).
KEY POINTS:
- Total sales in May 2021 were Rs 83.77 crore.
- The government has set a goal of increasing the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to 10,000 by March 2024, with the goal of providing excellent medications at affordable prices to the ordinary man, particularly the underprivileged.
- At the moment, the country has 8,735 such outlets spread throughout 739 districts.
Rajesh Gera appointed DG National Informatics Centre
Senior scientist Rajesh Gera has been appointed as the Director-General, National Informatics Centre (NIC), a Personnel Ministry order issued. He is currently Deputy Director-General in the NIC. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Gera, Scientist ‘G’, to the post of Director-General.
The National Informatics Centre is an Indian government organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, was established in 1976 with the objective to provide technology-driven solutions to central and state governments.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- National Informatics Centre (NIC) Headquarters: New Delhi;
- National Informatics Centre (NIC) Founded: 1976.
COVAX: Bangladesh now the top recipient of Covid vaccines
The COVAX facility, which is a worldwide effort co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization, with UNICEF as a key delivery partner, has received approximately 190 million doses of COVID 19 vaccines. COVAX is responsible for more than 62 percent of the doses delivered to Bangladesh.
KEY POINTS:
- UNICEF delivered the first COVAX consignment of vaccinations on June 1 last year, following the start of COVID 19 vaccination in Bangladesh in February 2021. Only 4% of Bangladesh’s population had been properly vaccinated at the time.
- After a year and a few months, more than 11.7 crore individuals, or 69 percent of Bangladesh‘s population, have received two doses of the vaccine.
- Sheldon Yett, the UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, said the success in putting millions of vaccines into the hands of people in every corner of the country has been nothing short of astounding.
UNICEF has also aided the Government’s COVID-19 response by bolstering the cold and ultra-cold chains, delivering crucial supplies, stimulating demand, assisting with data management, and bolstering vaccine administration capability.
