Defence
Indian Navy's Maiden Exercise with Algerian Navy

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Maiden exercise with Algeria + about Algeria - location)
What's the NEWS

• As part of her ongoing goodwill visit to Europe and Africa, INS Tabar took part in a Maritime Partnership Exercise with Algerian Navy ship 'Ezzadjer'
• The landmark exercise, held off the Algerian coast, saw participation of a frontline Algerian warship, 'Ezzadjer'.
• As part of the exercise, diverse activities including co-ordinated manoeuvring, communication procedures and steam past were undertaken between the Indian and Algerian warships.
• The exercise enabled the two navies to understand the concept of operations followed by each other, enhanced interoperability and opened the possibility of increasing interaction and collaboration between them in future.

Prelims Factoids
Corps Level Recce Troop Competition

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Recce Troop)
What's the NEWS

• One soldier died and more than three dozen had to be hospitalised for heat stroke symptoms after taking part in a Corps Level Recce Troop Competition organised by the Army at the Mamum Military Station near Pathankot a week back.

Know! about the Recce Troop Competition

• It is an inter-unit competition in which the recce troops of the respective units are pitted against each other to test their skills.
• The competition was being held to judge the skills and fitness of the soldiers who form part of the recce troop in every armoured regiment and mechanised infantry battalion.
• The Mamun-based Infantry Division of the Army had organised a recce troop competition in which all armoured and mechanised units of the Corps were taking part.
• The Division falls under Army's 9 Corps, which is headquartered in Himachal Pradesh's Yol.
• Recce troop is a sub unit. which is a part of every armoured and mechanised unit.
• The competition was being held to judge the skills and fitness of the soldiers who form part of the recce troop in every armoured regiment and mechanised infantry battalion.

Know! about Recce troop

• Reconnaissance or recce troop is a section level sub unit in every armoured regiment and mechanised infantry battalion of the Army.
• A section means that it comprises approximately one officer and 30 jawans.
• The recce troop is supposed to be the eyes and ears of the unit as well as the higher formations as, in a war, they are supposed to operate ahead of the main unit and keep an eye on the activities of the enemy.

Government Initiatives
National Small Industry Day

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about steps taken by the Ministry to enhance MSME sector) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
Know! the role of MSME

• MSMEs are an integral part of the value chain, offering diversified products on one hand and delivering intermediate goods for the large-scale industries on the other.
• It is one of the largest employment generator and backbone of Indian economy.
• India is home to more than 6.3 crore MSMEs, which have the ability and capability to access international markets and work as ancillaries to larger international firms.
• In terms of exports, the sector holds high potential in various sub-sectors such as textiles, leather & leather goods, pharmaceuticals, automotive, gems & Jewellery etc. with overall contribution of 45 percent.
• Ministry of MSME has undertaken interventions to enhance MSME ecosystem in India.

Some of the key reforms introduced by Ministry of MSME are:
Revision of MSME definition:

• Government of India approved the upward revision of MSME definition on 1st June 2020 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package.
• The Government revised the MSME classification by inserting composite criteria of both investment and annual turnover.

Udyam Registration:

• Udyam is an online and simplified procedure of filing of registration which enables MSMEs to obtain registration without any documentation and fees.
• It is a globally benchmarked process and a revolutionary step towards Ease of Doing Business.
• Ministry of MSME has also commenced API integration of Udyam Registration portal with GeM so that MSEs can participate in Government procurement easily.

Champions Portal:

• CHAMPIONS is an online platform to help and handhold the MSMEs specially in this difficult time.
• It is an ICT based technology system aimed at making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding throughout the business lifecycle.
• The platform facilitates a single window solution for all needs of MSMEs.

National SC-ST Hub (NSSH):

• National SC-ST Hub has been launched to promote entrepreneurship culture in the SC-ST community and fulfill the 4% procurement target mentioned in the Public Procurement Policy order, 2018.
• To boost entrepreneurship among SC/ST population and for maximum on-ground penetration, several interventions have been undertaken to cater to the challenge of market linkages, finance facilitations, capacity building etc.

Self-Reliant India (SRI) Fund:

• The scheme is expected to facilitate equity financing of Rs.50,000 crore in the MSME Sector. The infusion of equity will provide an opportunity to get MSMEs listed in stock exchanges.
• Further, it will also facilitate MSMEs to scale-up their business & growth and will help creating more jobs in the MSME sector.

Procurement Policy:

• For providing marketing support to MSEs, all Central Ministries/Government Departments and CPSEs are required to procure 25% of their annual requirements of goods and services from MSEs including 4% from MSEs owned by SC/ST and 3% from MSEs owned by women entrepreneurs under the Public Procurement Policy.

Establishment of Enterprise Development Centers (EDCs):

• With a view to provide Information related to MSMEs at one place, Enterprise Development Centres (EDCs)have been conceptualized.
• Till date Ministry of MSME has set up 102 EDCs across India.
• The aim of these centers is to build a network of entrepreneurial leaders by providing professional mentoring and handholding support services to existing as well as aspiring MSMEs with special focus on rural enterprises on continuous basis.

Prelims Factoids
Deendayal Port Trust bags Rajbhasha Kirti Award

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Rajbhasha Kirti Award)
What's the NEWS

• Deendayal Port Trust, consecutively second time, bagged the highest "Rajbhasha Kirti Award (Third prize in 'B' region)" for the year 2020-21.
• Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India announced this award to Deendayal Port Trust for excellent performance in the field of Official Language Implementation amongst various Boards/Autonomous Bodies/Trusts/Societies etc. of Government of India.
• Deendayal Port Trust, located in town of Kandla, is a seaport and town in Kutch district of Gujarat state in Western India, near the city of Gandhidham.
• Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it is one of major ports on the west coast.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister will release a special commemorative coin of ₹ 125 and will also address the gathering, on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji

About Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji

• Swami ji founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement".
• ISKCON has translated Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta and other Vedic literature in 89 languages, playing a stellar role in dissemination of Vedic literature across the world.
• Swamiji also established over a hundred temples and wrote several books, teaching the path of Bhakti Yoga to the world.

Governance
New Drone Rules

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about New drone rules - highlights) + Mains ( GS II governance + GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• The Central Government has notified a New 'Drone Rules, 2021', under which the drone rules have been given more relaxation than before.
• The rules express the intention of the government to allow drone use while ensuring protection from enemy drones through the 'anti-rogue drone framework' announced in the year 2019.

Know! about the New Drone Rules

• A 'Digital Sky Platform' will be developed as a business friendly 'single-window online system'.
• -‘No permission is required' to fly the drone 'up to 400 feet in green areas' and 'up to 200 feet in an area between 8 and 12 km from the airport periphery'.
• Micro drones, Nano drones and 'Research and Development Organizations' for non-commercial use will not require airworthiness certificate, unique identification number, prior permission and pilot license to fly drones.
• There will be no restriction on drone operation by foreign-owned companies registered in India. - Security clearance will also not be required before registering or obtaining a license.
• The 'Directorate General of Foreign Trade' (DGFT) will regulate the import of drones and drone parts.
• Drone coverage has been increased from 300 kg to 500 kg, and includes drone taxis.
• The 'Quality Council of India' and the institutions authorized by it will issue ‘Airworthiness certificates'.
• Manufacturers can provide the ‘Unique Identification Number' of their drones on the Digital Sky platform through self-certification.
• The maximum penalty has been reduced to one lakh rupees.
• Drone corridors will be developed for cargo delivery.
• Drone Promotion Council will be set up to make business friendly rules.
• These new rules will provide support to start-ups and innovative youth working in the drone technology application and development sector.
• These new rules will also open new possibilities for innovation and business.
• Possibilities will also open to make India a drone hub.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mainly determined 5 types based on the weight of the drone.

1. Nano Drone: Up to 250g
2. Micro Drone: More than 250g but less than 2kg
3. Small Drones: more than 2g kg but less than 25kg
4. Medium Drone: More than 25kg but less than 150kg
5. Large Drone: over 150kg

Social Issues
The Children's Climate Risk Index

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Children's Climate Risk Index' -highlights)
What's the NEWS

• UNICEF, in collaboration with 'Friday for Future', has launched a Report titled 'The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children's Climate Risk Index'.

Know! the index highlights

• This is the first comprehensive analysis of climate risk presented from the perspective of children.
• Children's vulnerability to climate change and environmental events, such as cyclones and heatwaves, based on children's access to essential services
• Ranking of major South Asian countries - Pakistan (14^th), Bangladesh (15^th), Afghanistan (25^th), India (26^th)
• Countries with maximum vulnerability: Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau
• Almost every child around the world is at risk from at least one climate and environmental hazard, including coastal floods, river floods, cyclones, vector-borne diseases, lead pollution, heatwaves and water scarcity.
• An estimated 1 in 3 out of 850 million children worldwide live in an area where at least four of the above climate and environmental hazards prevail.
• 1 in 7 out of 330 million children worldwide live in an area affected by at least the five major climate hazards listed above.

Recommendations

• Increase investment in climate adaptation and resilience in key services for children.
• Countries must cut their emissions by at least 45% (compared to 2010 levels) by 2030 so that temperatures do not exceed 1.5 °C.
• To provide important climate education and green skills to children to prepare for the effects of climate change and to adapt to them.
• Involve young people in all national, regional and international climate negotiations and decisions, including COP 26 which was held in Glasgow, UK in November 2021. will be held in

Prelims Factoids
Jallianwala Bagh Complex

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Jallianwala Bagh)
What's the NEWS

• The newly constructed Jallianwala Bagh complex and museum inaugurated by the Prime Minister in Amritsar (Punjab).

Know! about Jallianwala Bagh

• Jallianwala Bagh Complex is dedicated to those killed on April 13, 1919 on the orders of Brigadier General 'Reginald Edward Dyer'.
• In 1919, there was nationwide unrest in protest against the Rowlatt Act.
• On April 13, 1919, a crowd of at least 10,000 men, women and children gathered at Jallianwala Bagh to request the release of Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal.
• Brigadier-General Dyer sealed the only exit gate of the park and stationed his troops and ordered to open fire on the crowd and hundreds of innocent civilians were killed in indiscriminate firing.
• In protest against this incident, Rabindranath Tagore gave up the title of ‘Knighthood' and Mahatma Gandhi gave up the title of ‘Kesar-e-Hind'.
• Chettoor Sankaran Nair, the only Indian representative in the Executive Council of the Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, resigned from his post in protest.
• On October 14, 1919, a committee of inquiry (Hunter Commission) was formed under the chairmanship of Lord William Hunter to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
• The Indian National Congress also appointed its own non-official committee to investigate and asked it to investigate, it included- Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, Abbas Tyabji, MR. Jayakar and Gandhiji.

Prelims Factoids
Sukhet Model to check pollution in Madhubani villages
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Sukhet Model)
What's the NEWS

• An initiative called ‘Sukhet Model" adopted by Dr Rajendra Prasad Agriculture University, Madhubani and local agricultural research centres to check pollution in villages was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Maan Ki Baat address

Know! about the Sukhet Model

• Cow dung and waste from houses of villagers are collected and in return the villagers are given money for gas cylinders.
• The waste collected from the villages is used to manufacture Vermi compost, which is made available to farmers.
• The model had a four-fold benefit like pollution free environment in villages, disposal of waste in villages, monetary assistance to villagers for gas cylinders and availability of organic fertilisers to farmers.
• The Sukhet Model was launched by the agricultural department as part of the climate resilient agricultural programme in 2019.

Objectives:
(i) Rural sanitation by collecting household waste from door to door;
(ii) Economic utilization of agro waste viz., crop waste, water hyacinth, etc;
(iii) Monetizing cow dung to pay for LPG refilling, and
(iv) Creating employment opportunities at village itself.


Prelims Factoids
Web version of NDDB's e-GOPALA app unveiled to aid dairy farmers

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about -GOPALA application and IMAP web portal)

What's the NEWS

• The NDDB has launched the web version of e-GOPALA application and IMAP web portal which provides real-time information to dairy farmers for better productivity of dairy animals

Know! about e-GOPALA application and IMAP web portal

• The web version of e-GOPALA application developed by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been launched to aid dairy farmers.
• The e-GOPALA platform helps farmers manage their livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc); informs about availability of quality breeding services and guides farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate Ayurvedic ethno veterinary medicine.
• There is a mechanism to send alert (on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc) and inform farmers about various government schemes.
• This portal will also facilitate real time checking of coverage and progress of various projects and government schemes
• IMAP web portal which provides real-time information to dairy farmers for better productivity of dairy animals

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