Bilateral Relations/GSII
Africa's first transmission PPP project in Kenya

What's the NEWS

• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform to continue to develop the Kenya Transmission Project on a public-private partnership basis.

• The project entails the development, financing, construction, and operation of the 400kV Lessos - Loosuk and 220kV Kisumu - Musaga transmission lines under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
• Once completed, the project will be the first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) in Kenya and will set a reference point in Africa as the first financing of transmission lines on a PPP basis.
• In this development partnership, POWERGRID, one of the world's leading electric transmission utility companies will provide technical and operational know-how to the project, while Africa50 will bring its project development and finance expertise and will act as a bridge between the Kenyan government and private investors.
• The signing of this agreement underscores POWERGRID and Africa50's commitment to continue to dedicate resources to accelerate development activities on the project until financial close.

• Africa50 is an infrastructure investment platform that contributes to Africa's economic growth by developing and investing in bankable infrastructure projects, catalyzing public sector capital, and mobilizing private sector funding, with differentiated financial returns and impact.
• Africa50 currently has 31 shareholders, comprised of 28 African countries, the African Development Bank, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and Bank Al-Maghrib.

• The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) under the aegis of Ministry of Corporate Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

• The objective for signing the MoU is to achieve the mandate of Investor Education, Awareness and Protection by utilizing the tele-lecturing facility of Gyan Darshan Channel.
• This association with IGNOU/Gyan Darshan channel will help in propagating the message of Investor Education and Awareness among a large group of present and prospective stakeholders.
• The panel of resource persons for the lecture series would include experts from professional institutions
• The proposed lecture series of 75 episodes will be live tele-lecturing series on 24x7 Gyan Darshan TV channel
• Both IEPFA & IGNOU have the common objective of imparting education and making people aware about subjects affecting their lives.
• IEPFA intends to create awareness among all the stakeholder groups and specially the youth.

• It has been established under Section 125 of the Companies Act 2013 for administration of the IEPF fund as per section 125 (3) of Companies Act 2013.
• The main objective of the authority includes to promote Investor Education, Awareness & Protection, refund unclaimed shares, dividends and other amounts transferred to it under sections 124 and 125 of the Companies Act 2013 to the rightful claimants.
• IEPFA works under the administrative control of Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

What's the NEWS

• Shri Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education virtually launched Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) 2021 - 2022.

• The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar recognise, inspire and award the schools who have undertaken exemplary work in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene and also provides a benchmark and roadmap for schools to make further improvements in future.
• In order to create self-motivation and awareness about sanitation the SwachhVidyalayaPuraskar (SVP) was first instituted by the Department of School Education and Literacy, in 2016-17.
• The SVP 2021-22 is open to all categories of schools. i.e. Government, Government aided and Private schools in both rural and urban areas.
• The schools will be assessed through an online portal & mobile app in 6 sub-categories: Water, Sanitation, Hand Washing with soap, Operation and Maintenance, Behaviour Change and Capacity Building and the newly added category on COVID-19 Preparedness and Response and the system will generate the overall score and rating automatically.
• Schools shall be awarded at the District, State and National level based on an internationally recognized five star rating system.
• This will help in promoting sustainable practices of improved Water, Sanitation & Hygiene in schools.
• At the National level, 40 schools will be selected for awards this year under the overall category.
• The award money for the schools has been enhanced this year from Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 60,000/- per school, under Samagra Shiksha scheme.
• Also, 6 sub-category wise awards have been introduced for the first time, with award money of Rs. 20,000/- per school.

• The Senior Officers Meeting of the India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in virtual mode.
• India and the US announced they will re-establish the Homeland Security Dialogue focused on issues such as cybersecurity, emerging technology, and violent extremism
• The first round of the re-started dialogue is expected to take place later in the year, according to people familiar with the discussions.
• The two countries had welcomed efforts to "reinvigorate" the dialogue -- between the US Department of Homeland Security and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs -- at the 2+2 dialogue of the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries held in New Delhi last October.

• An initiative of the Obama administration, the first India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in May 2011.
• The then secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano, travelled to India to take part in the dialogue with her then Indian counterpart home minister P Chidambaram.
• The second India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in Washington DC in 2013
• Though working groups set up as part of the dialogue continued to engage on several areas of mutual concern and issues, the dialogue at the ministerial level were not scheduled after 2013.
• Meetings at the ministerial level were also not held during the administration of President Donald Trump, from 2017 to January 2021.

• NIRAMAI Health AnalytixPvt. Ltd. and InnAccel Technologies Pvt. Ltd., two start-ups supported by DBT-BIRAC), have received the World Bank Group and the Consumer Technology Association's Global Women's Health Tech Awards, which recognises innovative startups that leverage tech to improve women's health and safety in emerging markets.
• NIRAMAI Health AnalytixPvt. Ltd, a recipient of BIRAC's Women in Entrepreneurial ResearchAward 2019, was selected for its novel software-based medical device that detects early-stage breast cancer in a simple and private way on women of all age groups and breast densities, addressing a critical unmet need in cancer screening.
• The core innovation is a machine learning and AI-based Computer Diagnostic Engine called Thermalytix that uses artificial intelligence algorithms to interpret thermal images and generates a quantitative report for breast health and likely abnormalities.
• InnAccel Technologies Pvt Ltd., a recipient of DBT and BMGF'sGrand Challenges Exploration-India 2019, was adjudged a winner of the Global Women's Health Tech Awards for Fetal Lite, a next-generation, AI-powered fetal heart rate (FHR) monitor based on fetal ECG signal extraction technology for mothers in labour or post 37 weeks of gestation.
• Fetal Lite has next-gen ECG signal processing and is more accurate, reliable, and easier to use than the conventional Doppler-based devices while being comfortable for the mother.

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), established in 1986, is an Indian Government department under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• DBT is responsible for administrating development and commercialisation in modern biology and biotechnology in India.
• The Department has made significant achievements in the growth and application of biotechnology in the broad areas of agriculture, health care, animal sciences, environment, and industry.
• The proven technologies at the laboratory level have been scaled up and demonstrated in the field.

• Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog declared the results of the ATL Space Challenge 2021
• The Challenge was launched in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• The ATL Space Challenge witnessed over 2500 submissions from both ATL and Non-ATL students across the country from which 75 top innovators were selected

• The Challenge was a one-of-a-kind challenge and the first time that an ATL challenge open to both ATL and non-ATL students.
• ATL Space Challenge 2021 witnessed over 6500 students participating in the challenge from 32 States/ UTs.
• This Challenge also had a heartening participation of over 35% from girl students.
• The Challenge was launched on 6^th September 2021 and the students could submit their entries using the online portal while virtual YouTube LIVE sessions were also conducted by the AIM-ISRO-CBSE team to guide and motivate the students.
• The ATL Space Challenge 2021 was launched with an objective to enable innovation among young school students to create something in space sector that will not only help them learn about the space but create something that space programme can use itself.
• The Challenge also aligned with the World Space Week 2021, which is observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.

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