1. KISAN SARATHI
In order to facilitate farmers to get ‘right information at right time’ in their desired language, a digital platform namely ‘Kisan Sarathi’ was launched jointly by Minister for Agriculture with Minister for Electronics and Information Technology on the occasion of 93rd ICAR Foundation Day.
About:
- with the digital platform, the farmers can interact and avail personalised advisories on agriculture and allied areas directly from the respective scientists of KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVKs).
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India. It reports to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture. The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. it was formed in 1929.
Source : Indian Express
2. UMANG
Ministry of Electronics & IT has enabled map services in “UMANG App '' through an MOU with MapmyIndia.
About:
- The service will enable people to find government facilities like Mandis, Blood Banks etc. near their location. With the newly launched map service people can easily navigate through visual and voice directions.
- The UMANG mobile app (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is a Government of India single, unified, secure, multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app, providing access to high impact services of various organizations (Central and State).
- Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi had launched the UMANG App in 2017.
Important Info :
UMANG app has already started to provide map functionality through MapmyIndia in the following services:
- Mera Ration - Through UMANG, users can identify and navigate to the ‘Nearest Fair Price Shops’ as shops are visible in the form of pointers on MapmyIndia integrated map.
- eNAM - Through UMANG, 'Mandi Near Me' service will help users to identify and navigate to the nearby mandis pointed on the map.
- Damini - ‘Damini Lightning Alerts’ service is to provide lightning alerts to users by giving a visual ofnearby areaswhere lightning has struck in the last few minutes. This alert mechanism provides the possibility of lightning strikes on map view.
Source : All India Radio
3. INSTITUTE OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN AYURVEDA (ITRA)
MoU was signed between Jamnagar based Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) under Ministry of Ayush and the Government of Gujarat.
About:
- Through this MoU all the institutions functioning in the Ayurveda campus in Jamnagar have been brought under the umbrella of ITRA, the only institution under the Ministry of Ayush that has been accorded the status of Institute of National Importance (INI).
Source : Economic Times
4. VIDISHA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of those who died in an accident in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district. At least 11 people were killed in Vidisha while trying to rescue a girl who had fallen into a 50-ft deep well.
About:
- Vidisha (formerly known as Bhelsa and known as Besnagar in ancient times) is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
- The name "Vidisha" is derived from the nearby river "Bais", mentioned in the Puranas.
- Jainism in Vidisha: Vidisha is considered to be Puranakshetras Jain tirtha. Vidisha is believed to be the birthplace of Shitalanatha, the tenth tirthankar.
Important Info :
The Heliodorus pillar
- The Heliodorus pillar is a stone column that was erected around 113 BCE in central India in Besnagar (near Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh). The pillar was called the Garuda-standard by Heliodorus, referring to the deity Garuda.
- The pillar is commonly named after Heliodorus, who was an ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas from Taxila, and was sent to the Indian ruler Bhagabhadra.
Source : Hindustan Times
5. KRISHNA & GODAVARI RIVER MANAGEMENT BOARDS
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has notified the jurisdiction of Godavari River Management Board and Krishna River Management Board, which provide the required authority and power to the two Boards in terms of administration, regulation, operation and maintenance of listed projects in Godavari and Krishna rivers in the two States.
About:
- The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014 (APRA) contains provisions for the effective management of river waters in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Constitution of the Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards and the constitution of an Apex Council for the supervision of the functioning of these Boards, is laid down in this Act.
- The Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 85 of the APRA, 2014, constituted the two River Management Boards effective from 2nd June, 2014
- In accordance with the provisions under Section 87 of APRA, 2014, Government of India has issued two gazette notifications, one for the jurisdiction of GRMB and the other for KRMB, for administration, regulation, maintenance and operation of projects in Godavari and Krishna river basins respectively, in the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Source : PIB
6. AIMING FOR SUSTAINABLE HABITAT: NEW INITIATIVES IN BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY 2021
Union Minister for Power and MNRE inaugurates “Aiming for Sustainable Habitat: New Initiatives in Building Energy Efficiency 2021” which was virtually launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
The initiatives launched under it included:
- Specifying code compliance approaches and minimum energy performance requirements for building services, and verification framework with Eco Niwas Samhita 2021.
- Creating an Online Directory of Building Materials that would envisage the process of establishing Standards for energy efficient building materials.
- Announcement of NEERMAN Awards, (National Energy Efficiency Roadmap for Movement towards Affordable & Natural Habitat), with the goal of encouraging exceptionally efficient building designs complying with BEE’s Energy Conservation Building Codes.
- Online Star Rating tool for Energy Efficient Homes created to improve energy-efficiency and reduce energy consumption in individual homes. It provides performance analysis to help professionals decide the best options to pick for energy-efficiency of their homes.
- Training of over 15,000 Architects, Engineers and Government officials on Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 and Eco Niwas Samhita (ENS) 2021).
Source : PIB
7. 9th INTEGRATED RATINGS OF STATE POWER DISTRIBUTION UTILITIES AND RANKINGS
Union Power Minister releases 9th Integrated Ratings of State Power Distribution utilities and Rankings for the rating period FY 2019-20.
About:
- The Integrated Rating exercise is carried out on an annual basis since 2012 as per the methodology approved by Ministry of Power.
- The exercise presently covers 41 States distribution utilities spread across 22 States. ICRA and CARE are the designated credit rating agencies.
- The Ninth Integrated Ratings have been carried out by ICRA Analytics Limited (IAL) & CARE Advisory Research & Training Limited (CART), the consulting arms of ICRA ratings and CARE respectively.
- Power Ministry has mandated Power Finance Corporation (PFC) to co-ordinate with the utilities, rating agencies & MoP during the rating exercise.
Source : PIB
8. GENDER SENSITIZATION OF POLICE PERSONNEL
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has signed an MoU with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) for gender sensitization of police personnel across the country.
About:
- The objective of the programme is to ensure gender sensitization of police personnel with respect to legislation and policies concerning women and bringing attitudinal and behavioural changes in police officers while dealing with crimes against women.
- The training will be conducted for a duration of three-five days, preferably in residential mode as a short intense course with an expected training of 18-24 hours in total. It will have special focus on gender issues, women related laws, role of implementing agencies along with sharing of best practices.
National Commission for Women (NCW)
- National Commission for Women (NCW) is the apex national level organization with the mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of women under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India.
- NCW was set up as statutory body in 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
Important Info :
Bureau Of Police Research And Development (BPR&D)
- Parent agency: Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Established in: 1970.
- Headquarters: New Delhi.
Source : PIB
9. KADAMBINI GANGULY
On 18 July 2021, Google celebrated Ganguly's 160th birthday with a doodle on its homepage in India.
About:
- Kadambini Ganguly (1861 – 1923) was one of the first Indian female doctors who practiced with a degree in Western medicine, alongside other pioneering women such as Anandibai Joshi.
- Ganguly was the first woman to gain admission to Calcutta Medical College in 1884, subsequently trained in Scotland, and established a successful medical practice in India.
- Kadambini started her education at Banga Mahila Vidyalaya and while at Bethune School (established by Bethune) in 1878 became the first woman to pass the University of Calcutta entrance examination.
- It was partly in recognition of her efforts that Bethune College first introduced FA (First Arts), and then graduation courses in 1883.
- She and Chandramukhi Basu became the first graduates from Bethune College, and in the process became the first female graduates in the country and in the entire British Empire.
Source : Hindustan Times