Prelims Factoids
Pralay
 
What's the NEWS

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted maiden flight test of indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile ‘Pralay', from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha

• The new missile followed the desired quasi ballistic trajectory and reached the designated target with high degree accuracy, validating the control, guidance and mission algorithms.
• All the sub-systems performed satisfactorily. All the sensors deployed near the impact point across the eastern coast, including the down range ships, tracked the missile trajectory and captured all the events.
• The Missile is powered with solid propellant rocket motor and many new technologies.
• The missile has a range of 150-500 kilometre and can be launched from a mobile launcher.
• The missile guidance system includes state-of-the-art navigation system and integrated avionics.
• This is a new generation surface-to-surface missile equipped with modern technologies and induction of this weapon system will give the necessary impetus to the Armed Forces.

What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the National Oxygen Stewardship Program of the Union Health Ministry, at AIIMS

• The initiative aims to empower all healthcare workers engaged in Oxygen management and administration with the essential knowledge and skills to ensure rational utilization and avoid any wastage of medical Oxygen, especially in resource constraint settings.
• It envisages to identify and train at least one "Oxygen Steward" in each district across the country.
• These trained professionals would be responsible for leading the training on Oxygen therapy and management in their respective districts and also support audit of oxygen delivery and preparedness for a surge scenario.
• The Oxygen Stewardship Program will "enhance the skills of our healthcare workers in Oxygen therapy with necessary focus on essential knowledge and skills
• This will also train our participants to avoid wastage or overuse of oxygen in resource constraint settings including issues faced during Oxygen crisis, learnings, and averting further crisis situations, she stated.
• Oxycare dashboard has been launched which is also an important initiative towards oxygen administration.

• Three of the services viz. Immunization, Health Check-up and Referral Services are related to health and are provided through NRHM & Public Health Infrastructure.

Information given by the Minister of Women and Child Development

• ''Police'' and ''Public Order'' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.
• The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of citizens including investigation and prosecution of crime against women and children rests primarily with the respective State Governments.
• The Government has formulated a scheme namely "NALSA (Victims of Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation) Scheme, 2015 to provide legal services to address the concerns of victims of trafficking including women of all age groups and at every stage: i.e. prevention, rescue and rehabilitation.
• The thrust of the scheme is to provide economic and social pathways for these marginalized groups so that they are socially included and thus get all social protection available to an ordinary citizen.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing ‘Ujjawala' scheme for prevention of trafficking and rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and repatriation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation across the country.

• With an ambition to empower innovators and entrepreneurs across the country, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has come up with a first of its kind Vernacular Innovation Program (VIP), which will enable innovators and entrepreneurs in India to have access to the innovation ecosystem in 22 scheduled languages by the Government of India.

• To build the necessary capacity for the VIP, AIM has identified and will be training a Vernacular Task Force (VTF) in each of the 22 scheduled languages.
• Each task force comprises of vernacular language teachers, subject experts, technical writers, and the leadership of regional Atal Incubation Centers (AICs).
• To get the program rolling, AIM NITI Aayog is launching a train-the-trainer program where it will collaborate with the Design Department of IIT Delhi to coach the VTF in design thinking and entrepreneurship and the adaptation of these subjects in the 22 languages and cultures.
• Upon training the task force over the period of December 2021 to April 2022, the ecosystem will be opened to vernacular innovators.
• "Vernacular Innovation Program strengthens the design and innovation capabilities of our communities, thereby assisting local entrepreneurs, artisans and innovators to seamlessly assimilate the knowledge cum technical materials that AIM will develop.
• This one of its kind initiative by Atal Innovation Mission, will help in overcoming the barriers of language and empower innovators in the farthest areas of the country
• VIP is an initiative to lower the language barrier in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship
• India may be the first nation in the world to launch such an initiative where an innovation ecosystem catering to 22 languages plus English is being built.
• By providing access to learning in one's language and culture, AIM looks forward to enriching the local, regional, national and global innovation pipelines.

• North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCRMS) is a registered society under the aegis of North Eastern Council (NEC) and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Govt. of India.
• North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCRMS), Meghalaya in collaboration with Changlang Community Resource Management Society (CCRMS), Arunachal Pradesh launched Local Brand Namdapha Goodness in Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh named after iconic Namdapha National Park located in the Changlang district, Namdapha.
• Currently, a variety of products including edibles such as banana chips; spices such as ginger and turmeric powder, bakery items, locally spun clothes and sanitary napkins is being marketed under the brand.

• In the Sirnapalli forest in Telangana's Nizamabad, an international forest forensic investigator, had a chance encounter with the rarely found species of Albino Indian Flapshell turtle.

• The Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia.
• The "flap-shelled" name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell.Its IUCN status is Vulnerable.
• These freshwater turtles are widespread across South Asian countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. And while typical Indian flapshell turtles are dark green and brown, the example found recently has a decidedly more vibrant appearance.
• There were only two instances earlier of having ‘recorded' the presence of albino version of this specie across India- once in Odisha and then in West Bengal.
• The Indian flapshell turtle's albino appearance is due to genetics. It is a congenital disorder and it is characterized by complete or partial absence of tyrosine pigment.

Prelims Factoids
Exercise Prasthan
What's the NEWS

• The security of the Offshore Development Area (ODA) in Krishna Godavari Basin on the East Coast of India was reviewed during exercise "Prasthan" conducted from 21 December to 22 December 21.

• The biannual exercise was coordinated and controlled by NOIC (APD) from Joint Operations Centre (JOC) Vizag under the aegis of Indian Navy.
• Objective was to assess overall security architecture to provide support during an emergent situation at ODA and for the Oil Operators to validate their Standard Operating Procedures laid out for various contingencies related to ODA.
• Indian Naval Ships Kamorta, Tarmugli along with ISVs, T 36, T 38, T 39 and ICG ship Kanaklata Barua participated in the exercise along with MARCOS from INS Karna and naval helicopters from INS Dega.
• Oil Operators namely ONGC Ltd, Reliance Ltd & Vedanta Ltd, Coastal Police, Department of Port and Department of Fisheries also participated.

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