Science & Technology
Hansa New Generation (NG) aircraft

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Hansa New Generation (NG) aircraft)
What's the NEWS

• Hansa New Generation (NG) aircraft, designed and developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore a constituent lab of CSIR,has successfully made its maiden flight

Hansa New Generation (NG) aircraft

• The unique features of Hansa-NG are glass cockpit with cabin comfort, high efficient digitally controlled engine, electrically operated flaps, Long endurance, low acquisition and Low operating cost.
• CSIR-NAL has already received 72 Letters of Intent from various Flying Clubs and the aircraft will be certified within the next 4 months before it gets inducted into service.

Bilateral Relations
6^th Eastern Economic Forum 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations + international organisations)
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister delivered a video-address during the plenary session of the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held on 3 September 2021 in Vladivostok.
• It may be recalled that PM was the Chief Guest for the 5^th EEF in 2019, the first by an Indian Prime Minister.

Know! about Eastern Economic Forum

• The Eastern Economic Forum 2021 will take place on 2-4 September in Vladivostok on the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) campus.
• The Eastern Economic Forum was established by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia's Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The Forum business programme includes a number of business dialogues with leading partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and with ASEAN, a key integration organization uniting dynamically developing nations in Southeast Asia.

Some Prelims Factoids

• Russia is the largest investment destination for the Indian oil and gas companies and Indian public sector companies
• Indian companies have made investments in Russia of about $16 billion, including in the Far East and East Siberia, in oil and gas assets
• Russia is also the largest investor in India's oil and gas sector.

Prelims Factoids
Swarnim Vijay Varsh ‘Victory Flame' Inducted At Enc

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Victory Flame' of Swarnim Vijay Varsh)
What's the NEWS

• The ‘Victory Flame' of Swarnim Vijay Varsh, was formally inducted at Eastern Naval Command (ENC) commemorating the 50th anniversary celebrations of India's victory in the 1971

Swarnim Vijay Varsh'

• The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of victory of the Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 war and the year is being observed as ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh' in honour of the Indian Soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
• To commemorate this occasion, four victory flames were lit up by the Prime Minister at the National War Memorial, New Delhi on 16 Dec 20.
• The four victory flames commenced their journey through the four cardinal directions travelling across the country through the villages of the soldiers who were a part of the 1971 war.
• Victory Flame from various parts of the country will converge at New Delhi on 16 Dec 21 where the main event will be conducted.

Defence
Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 (PACS-21)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 (PACS-21)
What's the NEWS

• Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria ,Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) attended the Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 (PACS-21) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii from 30 Aug to 02 Sep 21.

Know! about PACS -21

• The event themed "Enduring Cooperation towards Regional Stability" was attended by Air Chiefs from countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
• CAS was nominated as the Dean for the Symposium.
• Topics discussed - Regional Security and the significance of Air Domain Awareness, to cooperation amongst Air Forces for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations.
• Participation in PACS 2021 provided an opportunity for enhancing mutual understanding and deepening of relationships with like-minded nations.

Bilateral Relations
India & US sign Project Agreement for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) + about Project Agreement (PA) highlights and role of DTTI) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• India and the US have signed an agreement for design and co-development of an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (ALUAV).
• Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)

Know! all about the Project Agreement (PA) and DTTI

• The PA for ALUAV falls under the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Memorandum of Agreement between Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence, which was first signed in January 2006 and renewed in January 2015.
• The agreement is a significant step towards deepening defence technology collaboration between the two nations through co-development of defence equipment.
• The main aim of DTTI is to bring sustained leadership focus to promote collaborative technology exchange and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of future technologies for Indian and US military forces.
• Under DTTI, Joint Working Groups on land, naval, air, and aircraft carrier technologies have been established for focus on mutually agreed projects in respective domains.
• The PA for co-development of ALUAV has been overseen by the Joint Working Group on Air Systems and is a major accomplishment for DTTI.
• The PA outlines the collaboration between Air Force Research Laboratory, Indian Air Force, and Defence Research and Development Organisation towards design, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation of systems to co-develop an ALUAV Prototype.
• The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) at DRDO and the Aerospace Systems Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), along with the Indian and US Air Forces, are the principal organisations for execution of PA.

Air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (ALUAV).

• A UAV launched from plane is considered the next thing in technology.
• So far, UAVs take off from land and from warships and same goes for landing back these drones.
• The US has done initial testing for an air-launched UAV and is fine-tuning the process to retrieve the UAV in air.

Cyber Security
Cyber Lab for Online Capacity Building Programme

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the MoU highlights + about the role of cyber lab) + Mains ( GS III cyber security + GS II governance)
What's the NEWS

• National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India has signed an MoU with National Law University(NLU) , Delhi and National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal, to establish a Cyber Lab for the ‘Online Capacity Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and Digital Forensics'

Know! about the Online Capacity Building Programme

• The goal of this programme is to enable Police Officers, State Cyber Cells, Law Enforcement Agencies, Prosecutors and Judicial Officers to acquire requisite skills to deal with Cyber Forensics cases efficiently & effectively as per the Indian Cyber Law while adopting global best practices, standards and guidelines.
• NeGD, in collaboration with NLIU Bhopal has taken this initiative to offer a 9 Months Online PG Diploma to 1000 Officials through its Learning Management System (LMS).
• The proposed cyber lab will be equipped with Hybrid architecture which supports both virtual as well as physical mode of capacity building in the areas of Cyber Law, Cybercrime Investigation and Digital Forensics.

National e-Governance Division

• In 2009, National e-Governance Division was created by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology as an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation {erstwhile Media Lab Asia}.
• Since 2009, NeGD has been playing a pivotal role in supporting the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology in Programme Management and implementation of e-Governance Projects and initiatives undertaken by Ministries/ Departments, both at the Central and State levels.

Economy
24^th meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about FSDC) + Mains ( GS III Economic development + GS II governance)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 24th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)
• The meeting deliberated on the various mandates of the FSDC, viz., Financial Stability, Financial Sector Development, Inter-regulatory Coordination, Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion, and Macro prudential supervision of the economy including the functioning of large financial conglomerates etc.

Know! about FSDC

• The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was set up by the Government as the apex level forum in December 2010.
• Objective - to strengthening and institutionalizing the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development
• The Chairman of the Council is the Finance Minister and its members include the heads of financial sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDA & FMC) Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Chief Economic Adviser. The Council can invite experts to its meeting if required.
• The Council monitors macro prudential supervision of the economy, including functioning of large financial conglomerates
• It addresses inter-regulatory coordination and financial sector development issues.
• It also focuses on financial literacy and financial inclusion.
• The FSDC Sub-committee has also been set up under the chairmanship of Governor, RBI.
• It meets more often than the full Council.
• All the members of the FSDC are also the members of the Sub-committee.
• Additionally, all four Deputy Governors of the RBI and Additional Secretary, DEA, in charge of FSDC, are also members of the Sub Committee.

Prelims Factoids
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Ramon Magsaysay Awards)
What's the NEWS

• Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2021 will be conferred to five people who have made selfless and extraordinary contributions to the eradication of poverty and the development of the society in Asia.
• The awards will be conferred on November 28^th 28 event at the Ramon Magsaysay Center in Manila.
• The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award, which is also known as Asia's Nobel Prize. The award was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
List of award winners of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021

• Muhammad Amjad Saqib (Pakistan): Establishment of Microfinance Institute
• Firdausi Qadri (Bangladesh): Scientist who was instrumental in the discovery of vaccines that saved millions of lives
• Steven Munsey: A humanitarian helping displaced refugees from Southeast Asia to rebuild their lives.
• WatchDoc: A production house that effortlessly fuses documentary filmmaking and alternative platforms to highlight underreported issues in Indonesia.
• Roberto Ballon: A fisherman from the southern Philippines, led a community in restoring rich aquatic resources and primary source of livelihood

Know! about Ramon Magsaysay Award

• Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 as an annual award in memory of the third president of the Philippines, Ramon Magsaysay.
• The award is conferred every year to honour individuals and organizations in Asia who transform lives and societies by manifesting selfless service.
• The award was established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund based in New York City with the concurrence of the Philippine government.
• Indian journalist Ravish Kumar was among the five recipients of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2019 for "harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless".

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