Defence
Commissioning of Visakhapatnam and Vela

What's the NEWS
Commissioning ceremony and the launch of :

• Commissioning of ‘Visakhapatnam', the first stealth guided missile destroyer ship of the Project 15B on 21 Nov 21.
• Commissioning of Vela, the fourth submarine of Project-75 is also scheduled on 25 Nov 21
• These would be followed by the launch of first ship of Survey Vessel Large project, Sandhayak in early Dec 21.

• It has been constructed using indigenous steel DMR 249A and is amongst the largest destroyers constructed in India with an overall length of 163m and displacement of over 7400 tons.
• The ship has a significant indigenous content of approx. 75% contributing towards AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
• The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking multifarious task and missions spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.
• Visakhapatnam is equipped with array of weapons & sensors, which include supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short-range guns, anti-submarine rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suit's.
• The ship is propelled by a powerful combined gas and gas propulsion which enables her speed of over 30 knots.
• The ship has the capability of embarking two integrated helicopters to further extend her reach.
• The ship boasts of a very high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks, Combat Management System and Integrated Platform Management System.

• Six Submarines are being constructed under theProject-75.
• With the commissioning of Vela, the project would have crossed the half way mark.
• These submarines are being constructed at M/s MDL and construction is based on the French Scorpene class design. M/s Naval Group, the French collaborator for this project.
• The submarine has been slotted to join the Submarine fleet of the Western Naval Command.
• Vela is the fourth Submarine and has completed most of its trials and is combat worthy and ready to take on operational tasking.

• It is the first of the four Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Project being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata for Indian Navy.
• The contract for building four SVL ships was signed between MoD and GRSE on 30 Oct 18.
• These large Survey ships envisaged to replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships are equipped with new generation hydrographic equipment including AUVs, ROVs, 11m survey boats and advanced indigenous data acquisition systems to collect and analyze for collecting oceanographic and geophysical data in the Indian Ocean Region.

• Director General Border Roads (DGBR) received the Guinness World Records certificate on November 16, 2021 for the achievement of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of constructing and black topping the world's highest motorable road at 19,024 feet at Umlingla Pass in Ladakh.

• The 52-kilometre long Chisumle to Demchok tarmac road passes through the 19,024 feet high Umlingla Pass and betters the previous record of a road in Bolivia, which connects volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 feet.
• The Umlingla Pass road is another landmark in resurgent India's achievement as it has been constructed at an altitude higher than the North and South Base Camps of Mount Everest which are at an altitude of 16,900 feet and 17,598 feet respectively.
• The BRO provided a black topped road to the important village of Demchok in Eastern Ladakh that will be a boon to the local population of the region as it will enhance the socio-economic conditions and promote tourism in Ladakh.
• The strategically important road, which is approximately 15 kilometres long, highlights the focus of the Government in developing road infrastructure in border areas.

• Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, inaugurated the country's first-of-its kind, dedicated business incubator to be known as LINAC- NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFlC) in Haryana's Gurugram to nurture fisheries start-ups under real market-led conditions.

• The incubation unit will provide handholding such as training, converting entrepreneurial ideas into business models and doling out seed money to the new as well as existing business entrepreneurs keen to make big in the segment.
• To begin with, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), an implementing agency for the LIFIC, has identified the first batch of ten incubatees from four states-Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Out of them, 6 are from newly-created Fish Farmers Producer Organizations with the support of the financial grant under the PMMSY.
• This unique initiative shall primarily focus on converting entrepreneurial ideas into business models and then support the launch of business operations.
• One critical input, credit linkage, may be provided to the successful incubators who can avail financial assistance from NCDC.
• Unlike in dairy sector, cooperative societies are yet to make their presence felt in the fisheries segment.
• That is why a separate Ministry of Cooperation has been established so that cooperatives in various sectors including fisheries

• Fisheries is a sunrise industries in India, growing at 7 percent rate annually.
• The Prime Minister has set a goal of 22 million tonnes of fish production and export to the tune of Rs one lakh crore by 2025.
• It is a very tall order to be achieved within next four years given that presently, fish production is 130 lakh tones and export worth Rs 46,000 crore.
• Setting up this first of business incubation centre for fisheries in India is a step in this direction to achieve the ambitious goal.

What's the NEWS

• The Pochampally Village in Telangana State has been selected as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
• The prestigious award will be given on the occasion of the 24^th session of the UNWTO General Assembly on 2^nd December 2021 in Madrid, Spain.

• The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified nine evaluation areas.
• It also aims to support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.
• The Ministry of Tourism recommended three villages for the UNWTO Best Tourism Village entry from India.
• These were Kongthong in Meghalaya, Ladhpura Khas, Madhya Pradesh and Pochampally in Telangana. Pochampally, was awarded by UNWTO.

• Pochampally's unique weaving styles and patterns received special focus through Prime Minister mantra of Vocal 4 Local as a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat
• Pochampally, 50 Kms from Hyderabad, is a town in Nalgonda district of Telangana and is often referred to as the Silk City of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat.
• This style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI Status) in 2004.
• Ikat is a Malaysian, Indonesian word which means "Tie and Dye".
• Ikat involves the process of wrapping (or tying) and dyeing sections of bundled yarn to a predetermined colour pattern before they are woven.
• The dye penetrates into exposed sections while the wrapped section remains undyed. This pattern formed by the yarn in this process is woven into fabric.
• In 2015, to recognise the diversity of weaving techniques and our rich handloom tradition, Prime Minister inaugurated the first National Handloom Day on August 7 as a tribute to the formal proclamation of the Swadeshi Movement that was made in a meeting at the Calcutta Town hall on the same day in 1905.
• Pochampally is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate the Bhoodan Movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18th, 1951.

• The Ministry of Tourism has drafted a Rural Tourism Policy which will not only promote tourism within our villages but also revitalise local arts and crafts and promote rural economy.
• It will help redevelop and rebuild our villages and rural life and the residents of the villages will also get an opportunity to engage and interact with people from outside.

• The 7^th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs is being hosted by French Navy at Paris from 15 - 16 Nov 21.
• Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, is leading a two member Indian Naval delegation for this Conclave.
• The Conclave of Chiefs is being attended by Chiefs of Navies/ Heads of Lead Maritime Agencies of IONS nations.
• The 7^th edition of IONS Symposium was held at Le-Reunion from 28 Jun - 01 Jul 21 in hybrid format due to COVID protocols.
• During the Symposium, it was agreed upon to conduct the extant Conclave of Chiefs at Paris.

• IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum which seeks to enhance maritime co-operation among Navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive platform for discussions on regionally relevant maritime issues that would lead to common understanding on the way ahead.
• The inaugural edition of IONS was held in Feb 2008 at New Delhi, with Indian Navy as the Chair for two years. The IONS Chair is presently held with France.
• In 2020 the IONS Chairmanship rotates to France and in 2022 to Thailand.
• IONS includes 24 nations that permanently hold territory that abuts or lies within the Indian Ocean, and 8 observer nations

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