Delhi jumps five places to third on performance index

In the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0, which was released by the Union Education ministry, Delhi has improved to the third position this year. It is only behind Chandigarh andPunjab, which are in the first and second positions, respectively. In 2020-21, the national capital was in the eighth position.

The index measures the performance of states/Union territories on a uniform scale to catalyse transformational change in the field of school education. PGI 2.0 scores are the aggregate scores of six domains of educational attainment of states/UTs– Learning outcomes, access, and facilities, Equity, Governance processes and teacher education and training.

None of the states/UTs has attained the highest grade-Daksh-this year. The topmost grade attained in PGI 2.0 is Prachesta-2 (with score range of 641 to 700). Prachesta-2 is the sixth highest grade out of the 10 listed in the index.

PGI terms learning outcome as the most important domain. Punjab, Chandigarh andRajasthanare on top in this domain with Prachesta-2 grade. “However, unlike other domains, which are relatively easier to comply with, improving learning outcomes takes time and patience. All other domains support learning outcomes and ultimately converge towards it,” said the PGI 2.0 document. In this category, Delhi didn’t fare well and only managed to get Akanshi-1.

Rajnath launches NCC Integrated software

In a step towards promoting digitisation and in sync with Digital India mission, DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched here an National Cadet Corps (NCC) Integrated Software.

The NCC Integrated Software, developed in PARTNERSHIP with Institute for Space Applications and Geo Informatics (BISAG), is a single window interactive software for Cadets, designed on the Entry to Exit Model.

The NCC Integrated Software is based on the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modis vision of Once a Cadet always a cadet, and will digitalize the entire process from the stage of enrolment as a cadet in NCC till exit registration as alumni.

This will enable seamless issue of certificates, creation of an all India Database of NCC cadets at the time of their EMPLOYMENT.

During this event, the NCC and State Bank Of India (SBI) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Raksha Mantri to open zero balance accounts of all NCC Cadets with debit card, chequebook & passbook facility under SBIs Pahli Udaan scheme. About five lakh cadets will be benefitted by this MoU every year.

The account will remain functional till completion of training or attaining 18 years of age whichever is later. This will not only introduce the cadets to the national Banking system but also provide them with a ready platform to avail benefit of other govt schemes through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) of funds into their accounts.

Under the DBT initiative, the Ministry of Defence has reformed the physical uniform distribution process to make it more transparent and seamless, allowing direct bank transfer of uniform allowance in the bank accounts of the NCC cadets.

IMO sets by or around 2050 as net zero target for global shipping industry

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on Friday agreed on a flexible net zero target of 2050 actively propagated by the developing nations, with a net zero goal by or around that is closer to 2050 and a clause reading if the national circumstances allow.

The IMO agreeing on a considerable reduction of the Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) in the global shipping , which is at present a major contributor to Climate-change”>Climate Change with one billion tonnes of emission per year, went softer on the strict net zero targets by 2050, which was actively propagated by the developed nations and some of the island nations.

The member states, however, have agreed to the indicative checkpoints of reducing emissions at least by 20 per cent, striving for 30 per cent by 2030, and at least 70 per cent, striving for 80 per cent by 2040.

The shipping industry accounts for almost 3 per cent of global emissions. The shipping industry is crucial to global trade carrying up to 90 per cent of commercial cargo. But ships use some of the most carbon-heavy fuels to power their engines.

The civil Society organisations, while accusing IMO of failing to align the shipping industry with the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, said the level of ambition agreed is far short of what is needed to be sure of keeping the global heating below 1.5C. The London-based IMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations which is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships.

India also thanked the Inter-sessional Working Group on GHG Emissions for explicitly addressing the human element, including the impact on seafarers and other maritime professionals in the safe implementation of the 2023 IMO GHG strategy.

India will be third largest economy by 2027-28: Piyush Goyal… Read more at

In a recent address to the Indian Diaspora community in France, Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India is set to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2027. Currently the fifth-largest economy, India has been experiencing an Average annual Growth rate of around 7% over the last decade, driven by factors such as a growing middle class and a focus on innovation and

Goyal cited the countrys export performance, which reached USD 750 billion in the 75th year of independence, as evidence of Indias upward trajectory.

He also highlighted Indias role as a global pharmacy, food bowl and trusted partner, with the world looking to Prime Minister Modis Leadership to tackle current global challenges.

Goyal affirmed Indias commitment to its PARTNERSHIP with France, and called on the Indian diaspora to play a crucial role in furthering this partnership

Indias first 3D-printed post office to come up in Bengaluru

According to recent news reports, a 3D-printed Post Office is being built in Bengaluru, India, which will be the first of its kind in the country. Residents of Cambridge Layout are reportedly pleased with this development. The cost of constructing this post office is estimated to be 30 to 40 percent lower than that of a traditional building, and it is expected to be completed within 30 days. The 1100 square feet post office will cost around Rs 23 lakh to construct

The use of 3D printing technology can significantly reduce construction costs and expedite the building process, which would otherwise take several months. The proposed three-storied post office in Bengaluru has received clearance from the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and IIT-Madras for its 3D printing. This will be Indias first 3D-printed post office building.

UP tops list with 67,000 pending Pocso cases, Maharashtra next in line

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, has 67,200 pending cases of heinous crimes against children, the highest among all states. This is almost 28% of all pending cases booked under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

To spare a sexually abused child from further harassment of court proceedings, amendments made to the Pocso Act provide for all trials to be completed in a time-bound manner in special fast-track courts (FTCs) set up specifically for this purpose across the country.

Maharashtrahas the second highest number of pending cases at 33,000, followed by West Bengal with 22,100; Bihar 16,000; Odisha 12,000 and and Madhya Pradesh with 10,000 cases each.
Delhi (with 9,108 pending cases),Rajasthan(8,921),Assam(6,875),Haryana(4,688) andJharkhand(4,408) figure among the top 13 states with large pendency of cases.

India ranks 5th in countries with most AI investment

Stanford Universitys AI Index report states that India is ranked fifth in terms of investments received by startups offering AI-based products and Services in 2022. AI startups in India received a total of $3.24 billion, surpassing countries such as South Korea, Germany, Canada, and Australia. However, India is still behind the US, China, the UK, and Israel in terms of AI investments received

According to the same report, AI startups in India received a cumulative funding of $7.73 billion from 2013 to 2022, which places it sixth among the countries with the highest AI investments during that period. However, nearly 40% of this funding was received in the year 2022 alone.

The AI Index report by Stanford University revealed that 54% of the researchers working on Large Language Models (LLMs) are from American institutions. Nonetheless, for the first time, researchers from Canada, Germany, and India contributed to the development of LLMs last year

Action Plan: Introduction of Cheetah In India

The Union Government announced an action plan for adopting Cheetah in India on 5 January.

Highlights:

During the 19th meeting of the , the Environment ministry issued the “Action Plan for Adoption of Cheetah in India.”

In India, 50 cheetahs would be introduced over the next five years as part of the action plan.

Cheetahs will be transported from South Africa or Namibia in groups of 12 to 14.

A satellite-GPS-very high-frequency radio collar will be put to each of the cheetahs.Cheetahs will be transported internationally by either a passenger airplane or a chartered flight.

They will be relocated to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP).

According to the strategy, the Union government, the Ministry of Environment, and the Cheetah Task Force will establish a formal structure for engaging with Namibian and/or South African administrations.

India Skills Competition 2021

The National Skill development Corporation organizes the India Skills competition (NSDC).

It occurs every two years. The competition takes place in several locales.

The India Skills competition will take place at Pragati Maidan, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and other cities in 2021. It all started in the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The NSDC is hosting more than fifty skill contests in 2021. Welding, cyber security, painting, floristry, additive manufacturing, patisserie, and more professions are included.

The “Olympics of Skills” is the name of the World Skills competition.

Indias first Mobile Honey Processing Van

India’s first “Mobile Honey Processing Van” was launched by KVIC.

KVIC’s Multi-disciplinary Training Centre in Panjokehra designed the Mobile Van in-house at a cost of Rs 15 lakh.

The Mobile Honey Processing Van is a significant step forward in KVIC’s Honey Mission, which aims to train beekeepers, provide Bee Boxes to farmers, and assist rural, educated, and jobless youth in earning additional revenue through beekeeping.

KVIC has created the unique Mobile Honey Processing Van, which will process beekeepers’ honey in their homes, saving them the time and expense of transporting the honey to processing Plants in distant towns.