17th August, 2023 Current Affairs

17th August, 2023 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Union Cabinet approves expansion of the Digital India programme with an outlay of ₹ 14,903 crore

• Digital India programme was launched on 1st July, 2015 to enable digital delivery of services to citizens. It has proved to be a very successful program.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the expansion of the Digital India programme. The total outlay is ₹14,903 crores.

This would enable the following:

1. 6.25 lakh IT professionals will be re-skilled and up-skilled under the FutureSkills Prime Programme;
2. 2.65 lakh persons will be trained in information security under the Information Security & Education Awareness Phase (ISEA) Programme;
3. 540 additional services will be available under the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) app/ platform. At present over 1,700 services are already available on UMANG;
4. 9 more supercomputers will be added under National Super Computer Mission. This is in addition to 18 supercomputers already deployed;
5. Bhashini, the AI-enabled multi-language translation tool (currently available in 10 languages) will be rolled out in all 22 schedule 8 languages;
6. Modernisation of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) which connects 1,787 educational institutions;
7. Digital document verification facility under DigiLocker will now be available to MSMEs and other organisations;
8. 1,200 startups will be supported in Tier 2/3 cities;
9. 3 Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence on health, agriculture and sustainable cities will be set up;
10. Cyber-awareness courses for 12 crores college students;
11. New initiatives in the area of cyber security including development of tools and integration of more than 200 sites with National Cyber Coordination Centre

Union Cabinet approves new Central Sector Scheme ‘PM Vishwakarma’ to support traditional artisans and craftspeople of rural and urban India

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved a new Central Sector Scheme “PM Vishwakarma” with a financial outlay of Rs.13,000 crore for a period of five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28). The scheme aims to strengthen and nurture the Guru-Shishya parampara or family-based practice of traditional skills by artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools. The scheme also aims at improving the quality, as well as the reach of products and services of artisans and craftspeople and to ensure that the Vishwakarmas are integrated with the domestic and global value chains.
• Under PM Vishwakarma scheme, the artisans and craftspeople will be provided recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, Credit Support upto Rs.1 lakh (First Tranche) and Rs.2 lakh (Second Tranche) with a concessional interest rate of 5%.  The Scheme will further provide Skill Upgradation, Toolkit Incentive, Incentive for Digital Transactions and Marketing Support.
• The scheme will provide support to artisans and craftspeople of rural and urban areas across India. Eighteen traditional trades will be covered in the first instance under PM Vishwakarma. These trades include (i) Carpenter (Suthar); (ii) Boat Maker; (iii) Armourer; (iv) Blacksmith (Lohar); (v) Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; (vi) Locksmith; (vii) Goldsmith (Sonar); (viii) Potter (Kumhaar); (ix) Sculptor (Moortikar, stone carver), Stone breaker; (x) Cobbler(Charmkar)/ Shoesmith/Footwear artisan; (xi) Mason (Rajmistri); (xii) Basket/Mat/Broom Maker/Coir Weaver; (xiii) Doll & Toy Maker (Traditional); (xiv) Barber (Naai); (xv) Garland maker (Malakaar); (xvi) Washerman (Dhobi); (xvii) Tailor (Darzi); and (xviii) Fishing Net Maker.

BILATERAL
Cabinet approves Mutual Recognition Arrangement of Authorised Economic Operators between India and Australia

• The Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing and ratification of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) between the Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue, Government of India and the Department of Home Affairs incorporating the Australian Border Force, Australian Government.
• The arrangement is aimed at providing reciprocal benefits to accredited and trusted exporters of both the signatories in the clearance of goods by the Customs authorities of the importing country. Mutual recognition of Authorized Economic Operators is a key element of the World Customs Organisation’s SAFE Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate global trade to strengthen end-to-end security of supply chains while providing higher facilitation to trade at the global level. This arrangement shall benefit our exporters to Australia and thereby promote a trade relationship between the two countries.
• Mutual Recognition of the Australian Trusted Trader Program in Australia and the Authorized Economic Operator Program in India shall enter into force from the date of signing by the authorized representatives of both the countries. The text of the proposed Mutual Recognition Arrangement has been finalized with the concurrence of the Customs Administrations of both the countries.

Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Sports between India and Australia

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Sports between the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports of the Republic of India and the Department of Health and Aged Care of the Government of Australia.
• Bilateral exchange programmes in the field of sports between India and Australia will help in expanding knowledge and expertise in the area of sport sciences, technologies and infrastructure; athlete and coach training and development; sports governance and integrity; grassroots participation in sport; major sporting events; diversity and inclusion in sport which would result in improvement in performance of our sportspersons in international tournaments and strengthening of bilateral relations between India and Australia.
• Benefits arising from bilateral cooperation in the field of sports with Australia would be equally applicable to all sportspersons irrespective of their caste, creed, region, religion and gender.

Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India and Suriname in the field of Medical Products  Regulation

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 4th June, 2023 between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the Republic of India and Ministry of Health, Government of the Republic of Suriname on cooperation in the field of Medical Product Regulation. This was signed during the visit of the President of India to Suriname.
• The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to facilitate a constructive dialogue on the laws and regulations pertinent to medical products as well as other relevant matters.
• The MoU seeks to establish a framework for fruitful cooperation and exchange of information between the Centra! Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and Ministry of Health, Government of the Republic of Suriname in matters relating to Medical products regulation in line with their international responsibilities. The main areas of cooperation between the two Regulatory Authorities include the following:

1. Promoting   an   understanding   between   the   Parties   of   each   other's regulatory framework, requirements and processes and facilitating future regulatory strengthening initiatives for both Parties,
2. Exchange of information and cooperation on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Clinical Practices (GCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Pharmacovigilance Practices (GPvP).
3. Recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia
4. Exchange of safety information, including Pharmacovigilance, and adverse events where there is a particular safety concern related to the other Party. This includes safety concerns relating to medicines and medical devices.
5. Participation in scientific and practical conferences, symposiums, seminars and forum organized by the Parties.  
6. Capacity building in mutually agreed areas,
7. Coordination at the international fora,
8. Any others areas of common interest.
9. The MoU will facilitate export of medical products leading to foreign exchange earnings. This would be a step towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• Convergence in the regulatory practices could help in increasing export of medicines from India and consequentially could help in better employment opportunities for educated professionals in the pharma sector.
• The signed MoU between the regulatory authorities of the two countries will facilitate better understanding of medical products regulation with regard to pharmaceuticals including raw materials for pharmaceutical use, biological products, medical devices and cosmetic products.
• The MoU will promote exchange of information and cooperation in areas pertinent to medical products and relevant administrative and regulatory matters within the jurisdiction of the parties.

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ECONOMY
Dutch Economy Enters Recession

• The Dutch economy has entered a recession, shrinking 0.3% on a quarterly basis in the second quarter. This is the first recession since the pandemic, and follows a 0.4% contraction in the first three months of the year. The eurozone’s fifth largest economy was driven by a drop in consumer spending and exports. Consumer spending fell 1.6%, while exports were 0.7% lower than in the first three months of the year. Inflation in the Netherlands has dropped since hitting a peak of 14.5% in September 2022, but was still relatively high at about 6% in the second quarter of 2023.
• The Dutch economy is facing a number of challenges, including high inflation, rising interest rates, and the war in Ukraine.

NHAI Sets up Design Division to Review Design & Construction of Bridges and Other Structures

• For effective review of design and construction of bridges, specialized structures and tunnels, NHAI has set up a Design Division that will formulate policy and guidelines for planning, designing, construction and maintenance of bridges, structures, tunnels and RE walls on National Highways across the country.
• The division will review the project preparation, construction of new bridges, condition surveys & rehabilitation of existing old / distressed bridges, instrumentation to check the health of critical bridges, structures, tunnels and RE walls. It will also review standalone bridges and specialized structures, which are at a DPR stage where DPRs started post June 2023.
• In addition, the Division will also undertake review of construction methodologies, temporary structures, lifting and launching methods and prestressing methods of selected bridges and structures with span of more than 200 metres and special structures on random basis.
• Apart from this, review of designs of all bridges/structures which are more than 200 metre in ongoing projects shall be undertaken.  Also, designs of other bridges of span more than 60 metre, structures & tunnels of more than 200 metre length, RE walls above 10 metre height and other specialized structures will be reviewed on random basis.
• For undertaking design reviews, the Division will hire Advisers, Consultants Teams comprising of bridge design experts, tunnel experts, RE wall experts, Geotech experts, soil/material testing labs etc. The Division will also involve Design Experts/ Research Scholars / PG students from IITs/NITs for undertaking design reviews of structures, as required.
• In addition, the division will organize certification courses for officers of MoRTH, NHAI, NHIDCL and personnel of contractors/ consultants on various aspects of Design, Construction, Supervision & Maintenance of Bridges, Tunnels and RE walls through Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE), Noida and Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering (IRICEL), Pune.    
• An IT based monitoring system will be developed by the Design Division for bridge inventory, drawings, identification of distressed bridges and will also propose an annual plan for their repair and construction. It will also nominate a team of experts in case of failure of bridges, structures, tunnel and RE walls for detailed analysis and issue guidelines to prevent such failures in future.
• With large number of National Highway infrastructure development being under implementation across the country, the Design Division will help to build in-house capacity for designing, proof checking and construction of bridges and other critical structures. 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NBRI launches lotus variety which blooms in all seasons

• The CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) launched an extraordinary variety of the national flower, Lotus, named ‘Namoh 108‘. This unique flower boasts an astonishing 108 petals and was dedicated to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, underscoring its significance in the cultural and religious tapestry of India.
• The ‘Namoh 108’ lotus variety has been meticulously developed by NBRI scientists, who brought the original plant from Manipur for comprehensive research. It became the first Lotus variety to have its entire genome sequenced, ensuring its longevity and protection from potential extinction.

AWARDS
Indian-American economist Raj Chetty awarded top Harvard University prize

• Raj Chetty, an Indian-American economist, and Michael Springer, a biologist, have been awarded Harvard University’s George Ledlie Prize for their groundbreaking work in their respective fields.
• Chetty, a professor of economics at Harvard University, is known for his work on economic mobility. He has used big data to study the factors that influence a person’s ability to move up the economic ladder.
• Springer, a professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School, is known for his work on developing new diagnostic tests. He was instrumental in developing a faster and more accurate COVID-19 test, which has helped to improve the fight against the pandemic.
• The George Ledlie Prize is awarded by the President and Fellows of Harvard College to a member of the Harvard community who has made the most valuable contribution to science, or in any way for the benefit of mankind. It is awarded no more frequently than every two years.

Published date : 18 Aug 2023 11:19AM