Departure of INS Sarvekshak

After completing survey assistance, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sarvekshak departs Colombo.

Highlights:

The INDIAN NAVY‘s Hydrographic Survey Ship Sarvekshak completed survey work around the site of the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl, which caught fire off the coast of Colombo.

The survey of the wreckage area would allow for the issuance of advisories to both mariners and fishermen, as well as the subsequent removal of debris by Sri Lankan authorities, ensuring the navigational safety of marine traffic using Colombo port

About INS Sarvekshak:

The Indian Navy’s Hydrographic Survey Ship, INS Sarvekshak, is based at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.

It is equipped with the most advanced measurement equipment, such as deep-sea multi-beam echo sounder system, side scan sonar, Sound velocity profiler and fully automatic digital measurement and processing system. In addition, the ship is also equipped with a Chetak helicopter.

MoU Approved by the Cabinet

The has approved the following Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between India and various countries.

India and Nepal:

India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Council of Medical Research (Icmr) and the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC).

India and Myanmar:
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Medical Research (DMR) of Myanmar’s Ministry of Health and Sports.

The Gambia and India:
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, GOI, and the Public Service Commission, Office of the President, Republic of The Gambia.

Seventh Edition of IONS in France

The seventh edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), concluded in France on July 01, 2021. This time, the biennial meeting was hosted by the French Navy at La Runion from June 28 to July 01, 2021.

Highlights:

From India, Admiral Karambir

Singh, Naval Staff Chief, INDIAN NAVY, participated in the inaugural session of the tournament virtually. France is the present chair of the Symposium, which assumed the Chairmanship on 29 June 2021 for a two-year tenure.

The Indian

Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) is a collection of biennial meetings, held between the littoral states of the Indian Ocean region, to develop maritime cooperation amongst Navies of the member states, via offering an open and inclusive discussion board for discussion of domestically relevant maritime troubles such as maritime safety cooperation, talk about regional maritime issues, and promote friendly relationships.

The first symposium was held in the year 2008 with India as host. The chairmanship and region of the Symposium rotate between the variety of member states.

TheGOBARdhan schemelaunched by the Government of India is in the news for its unified registration portal, which acts as a one-stop repository for assessing investment and participation in the biogas/CBG (Compressed Biogas) sector. The scheme aims to convert organic waste, such as cattle dung and agricultural residue, into biogas, CBG, and bio-fertilizers, thus promoting a circular economy and waste-to-wealth generation.

Introduction: The GOBARdhan scheme is an umbrella initiative of the Government of India, focused on converting waste into wealth. It aims to build a robust ecosystem for setting up biogas/CBG/Bio-CNG Plants, driving sustainable economic Growth and promoting a circular economy.

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Microsofthas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) withDirectorate General of Training (DGT)under the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to train 6,000 students and 200 educators in digital and cyber-security skills in the country. As part of this collaboration with, Microsoft will offer a wide range of courses, including training in AI, cloud computing, web development and cybersecurity skills for students and 200 faculty members at government-led Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skills Training Institutions (NSTIs).

The training will empower young students with -relevant skills, enhancing their employability, and connecting them to relevant job opportunities. In addition, trained faculty members can then train ITI students attending computer operator and programming assistant (COPA) training.

The CyberShikshaa programme focusing on basic and intermediate cybersecurity skills training will also be expanded to students and educators at 10 NSTIs for Women. Trends such as demographic transitions and technological changes such as Industry 4.0, Web 3.0, and extended reality technology are introducing immense possibilities for our youth that will change their lives forever.

India Conducts Asias First Demonstration of Performance-Based Navigation for Helicopters

India recently achieved a significant milestone in the field of aviation as it conducted Asias first demonstration of performance-based for helicopters. The successful flight from Juhu to Pune showcased the

utilization of GAGAN satellite technology, a joint development by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). This groundbreaking achievement highlights Indias innovation and expertise in the aviation sector.

The Significance of Performance-Based Navigation:

Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) is a modern navigation concept that enables precise and efficient aircraft operations. By utilizing satellite-based technologies, PBN enhances accuracy, safety, and capacity in air traffic management. This demonstration marked a significant step forward for the Indian aviation sector, showcasing its commitment to adopting advanced navigation systems

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countrieshave kicked off military exercises with a pledge to defend their newest member, Finland, which is hosting its first joint training in the Arctic region since becoming part of the Western alliance in April. Nearly 1,000 allied forces from Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as NATO applicant Sweden joined approximately 6,500 Finnish troops and some 1,000 vehicles for exercises this week, which mark Finlands biggest modern-time land-force drill above the Arctic Circle.

Overseeing NATO exercises just a two-hour drive from the Russian border at one of Europes largest artillery training grounds in Rovajarvi, northern Finland, US Army Major-General Gregory Anderson from the 10th Mountain Division

said his country stood ready to defend Finland.Some 150 aircraft from 14 NATO members and partner countries are also participating in Arctic Challenge 2023 exercises, according to NATO Air Command.

Women and Men in India 2020 – NSO Report

The National Bureau of Statistics under the Ministry of Statistics and Planning and Implementation (MoSPI) recently released the “Indian Men and Women” report. The report consolidates important socio-economic indicators that reflect the gender situation in the country. This is the 22nd issue of the series. The report is published annually by MoSPI. Highlights:

The estimated Population of India in 2021 is 13.613 million. The sex ratio increased from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011.

Delhi has the highest increase in the sex ratio, followed by Chandigarh in Arunachal Pradesh. On the other hand, the sex ratios of Daman and Diu have fallen the most.

Women between the ages of 25-29 years have the highest age-specific fertility rate at 146.4.

The infant mortality rate dropped from 39 years in 2014 to 32 years in 2018. The maternal mortality rate dropped from 212 in 2007-09 to 113 in 2016-18. The total fertility rate in rural India in 2018 was 2.3. In 2018, it was 1.7 in urban areas.

International Ranger Awards were Announced IUCN

The winners of the first International Ranger Awards were announced. The award is provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature () and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) to 10 professionals around the world. Highlights:

The award was established in 2020 under the cooperation of IUCN WCPA, International Rangers Federation, Global Wildlife Sanctuary and conservation allies.

The award aims to recognize the outstanding achievements of forest rangers in protected areas and protected areas around the world. The nomination period for this award is from November 17, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

Ranger officer Mahinder Giri has become the only ranger in the region of Asia to win the International Ranger Award. In the past few years,

he has been deployed within the Motichur range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR).

This year, 10 professionals have won the award. International Ranger Award is given by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) & World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). All winners will receive a prize of US$10,000 (Rs 7,26,150).

Mahinder Giri was awarded for his efforts to contain human and wildlife conflicts inside and outside Rajaji and for his role in the ongoing tiger translocation exercise from Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) to Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

Russian scientists launched one of the world’s largest underwater neutrino telescopes called Baikal-GVD (Gigaton volume detector) in the waters of Lake Baikal, the deepest Siberian lake in the world. Highlights:

Together with IceCube in the South Pole and ANTARES in the Mediterranean, it is one of the three largest neutrino detectors in the world.

It attempts to study in detail the elusive elementary particles called neutrinos and possibly determine their source. About Neutrinos:

Neutrinos were first proposed by the Swiss scientist Wolfgang Pauli in 1930. They are the second most occurring particle in the universe, second only to the particle photons that make up Light.

In fact, neutrinos are so abundant among us that more than 100 trillion neutrinos pass directly through each of us every second-we never even noticed them.

India joined eight other countries to accelerate digital Learning. About E9 Initiative:

Nine countries including India, China and Brazil will explore the possibility of co-creating and expanding digital learning in order to achieve the UN‘s Sustainable Development quality Education goals.

This consultation is known as the E9 initiative, which is “the first step in a three-phase process of co-creating a digital learning and skills initiative for marginalized children and youth, especially girls. The initiative aims to promote the education system Rapid change to accelerate recovery and advance the agenda of SDG 4.”

E9 countries are India, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan.

The National Maritime Day of India is celebrated on April 5th each and every year. The theme of the 56th National Maritime Day is the Indian Ocean-an ocean of opportunities. Highlights: National Maritime Day has been since 1964. More than a hundred years ago, on this day in 1919, the first ship of Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd, SS Loyalty, traveled from Mumbai to England, thus creating the HISTORY of navigation. When sea routes were controlled by the British, this was a crucial step in the history of Indian shipping. It marks the anniversary of the red letter in the maritime history of India.

Celebrate this day to promote the awareness of supporting intercontinental trade and the global economy. The theme of the 56th National Maritime Day is “Indian Ocean-Ocean of Opportunity”.

Godavari water will flow from the site of the Polavaram Irrigation Project to the irrigation canals in the Godavari region in the east and west until April 15, 2021 against the deadline March 31, 2021 and work on cofferdam is scheduled to commence in April. Godavari River:

The Godavari River is the largest peninsula in the entire river system of India. It is also known as Daxin Ganges.

The Godavari River flows from Trimbakeshwar near Nashik, Maharashtra, flows for about 1,465 kilometers, and then discharges into the Bay of Bengal.

The Godavari Basin extends to the states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa, as well as the combined states of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry Smaller areas of the kingdom.

Ganga’s Tributaris are Pravara, Purna, Manjra, Penganga, Wardha, Wainganga, Pranhita (the combined traffic of Wainganga, Penganga, Wardha), Indravati, Maner and Sabri.

Kumbh Mela also occurred on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik.

The government estimates that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into the country has increased. Highlights:

From April to January 2021, India has attracted a total of US$72.12 billion in Foreign Direct Investment.

This is the highest level for the first ten months of a financial year, 15% higher than the first ten months of 2019-20 ($62.72 billion).

The trend shows that in the first ten months of FY 2020-21 (US$54.18 billion), FDI Equity inflows increased by 28%, compared with the same period last year (US$42.34 billion).

In terms of the largest investor country, Singapore accounts for 30.28% of total FDI equity inflows, followed by the United States (24.28%) and the UAE (7.31%) in the first ten months of 2020-21 in the current financial year.

In January 2021, Japan has been one of the largest investors in Foreign Direct Investment, accounting for 29.09% of Indias total direct investment inflows, followed by Singapore (25.46%) and the United States (12.06%).

In this regard, in the first ten months of the 2020-21 financial year, the most important sector is computer Software and hardware, followed by construction (Infrastructure) activities and Services-sector”>services sector.

Implementation of Seed Scheme

The Ministry of Social and Empowerment is implementing a Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for Development and Welfare of DNTs. In order to ensure that the benefit of the scheme reaches to the real targeted beneficiaries, the Ministry has also developed and opened the portal for SEED in September, 2022 calling for applications.

About 4700 applications available on the portal

have been extracted from the portal and forwarded to State Governments for verification.