• Prime Minister will inaugurate the first ever Semicon India 2022 Conference in Bengaluru,

• Semicon India - 2022 , a 3 day conference, is being organized to make India a leader in the electronics manufacturing , semiconductor design, manufacturing & innovation.
• Semicon India 2022 conference will attract best minds from across the world from semiconductor industry, research & academia
• It will act as a big step in fulfilling PM's vision on making India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and Semiconductor industry.
• The steering committee includes a mix of Startups, Academia and Global Industry Leaders demonstrating the Government's collaborative approach towards powering India's Semiconductor & electronics manufacturing ambitions.
• Semicon India 2022 Conference will be organised by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology from April 29 - 01 May 2022 around theme of - Design and Manufacture in India, for the World: Making India a "Semiconductor Nation".
• This conference will serve as the first roadshow in the series of roadshow that Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology will be organising.
• Global experts from industry and academia involved in semiconductor design and manufacturing and key representatives from Government are proposed to participate in the event.
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
• It has been setup as an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation having administrative and financial autonomy to formulate and drive India's long term strategies for developing semiconductors and display manufacturing facilities and semiconductor design ecosystem.
• Envisioned to be led by global experts in the Semiconductor and Display industry, ISM will serve as the nodal agency for efficient, coherent and smooth implementation of the schemes.

• The 3-day "Smart Cities, Smart Urbanization" conference had a grand opening in Surat.
• The event is being organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India with Surat Smart City Corporation Development Ltd., under the clarion call of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM)
• The event also featured release of Urban Outcomes Framework 2022 including, 'Ease of Living', ‘Municipal Performance Index', ‘Data Maturity and Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework.
• Ministry's integrated data portal AMPLIFI, which will provide valuable data about Indian cities, was also launched.
• Further, Smart Cities Mission also launched a comprehensive dashboard with Outcome Output Management Framework (OOMF) dashboard in GMIS during the event.

• Launch of a ‘virtual hub for collaborations on urban transformation' in partnership between the Smart Cities Mission and the World Economic Forum.
• Digital Governance Pavilion- Empowering communities with data and digital technology - ‘Digital Duniya' pavilion was inaugurated at the Smart Cities Smart Urbanization Conference to highlight initiatives that empower communities through data and digital technology.
• Launch of Urban Outcomes Framework 2022, AI Playbook for Cities, and AMPLIFI Portal - Smart Cities Mission launched the Urban Outcomes Framework 2022, Artificial Intelligence Playbook for Cities & AMPLIFI - Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Liveable, Inclusive and Future-ready urban India which is MoHUA's integrated data portal.
• The idea is to provide a platform that offers ample opportunities on how to continue creating and promoting the use of data that addresses complex urban issues.

• It was launched by the Prime Minister of India on 25th June, 2015.
• It has been a part of a visionary agenda for urban rejuvenation and has been designed as part of a multi-layer strategy to meet the aspirations of 40% of India's population living in cities.
• SCM is a transformational Mission aimed to bring about a paradigm shift in the practice of urban development in the country.
• Projects developed under the Smart Cities Mission are multi-sectoral and mirror the aspirations of the local population.
• As on date, 80 Smart cities have developed and operationalised their Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs) in the country.
• These operational ICCCs functioned as war-rooms for COVID management, and along with other smart infrastructure developed under the mission, helped cities in fighting the pandemic through information dissemination, improving communication, predictive analysis and supporting effective management.

What's the NEWS

• Finland and India announced the decision to establish an Indo-Finland Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.
• An MoU to this effect was signed by Secretary Science & Technology, Govt of India and Secretary Science, Govt of Finland.
• The Indian side has identified three premier institutes viz IIT Madras, IISER Pune and C-DAC Pune for Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.
• The Department of Science & Technology has initiated several new mission mode programs like Electric Vehicles, Cyber Physical System, Quantum Technologies, Future Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen Fuel etc and sought joint collaboration with Finland in solving issues of societal challenges.

• Both India and Finland are consultative members of the Antarctic Treaty and have active stations in Antarctica.
• Finland would be hosting Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in 2023 and India in 2024.
• India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Finnish Meteorological Institute(FMI) has been cooperating in the field of Atmospheric Environment since 2014.
• Under this collaboration, Air Quality Forecasting models developed by FMI are customized for Indian region resulting in enhanced capability to forecast pollution events from microscale to regional scale so that pollution control authorities can take appropriate action.
• Under this cooperation, environmental impacts of changing aerosol emission over India are also being pursued.
• Finnish companies will partner with India for Carbon-neutral technologies and enhance cooperation for Sustainability in Climate Change.
• The Finnish Minister invited India to explore the possibility of deeper cooperation in Finland's Biobank project to mediate high quality human samples to medical research to promote development of new products and services that promote public health.

• National Security Advisor, inaugurated the National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise

• NCX India will be conducted as a hybrid exercise over a period of ten days from 18 to 29 April 2022 with the aim to train senior management and technical personnel of Government/Critical Sector organisations and agencies on contemporary cyber threats and handling cyber incidents and response.
• The program is being conducted by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Govt. of India in association with Data Security Council of India (DSCI) as the Knowledge Partner and supported by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The platform for training is being provided by CyberExer Technologies, an Estonian cybersecurity company accredited for globally conducting several large cyber exercises.
• The participants will be trained on various key cyber security areas such as Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), Vulnerability Handling & Penetration Testing, Network Protocols & Data Flows, Digital Forensics, etc.
• NCX India will help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation.
• This will also help develop and test cybersecurity skills, teamwork, planning, communication, critical thinking, and decision-making.

What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare launched two portals, one for the Computerized Registration of pesticide (CROP) and the other for Plant Quarantine Management System (PQMS).

• These two portals have been launched and would help in taking forward digital Agriculture and Ease of doing Business.
• The new portals will benefit farmers, exporters as well as industrialists.
• Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DAFW), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, through the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (DPPQS), Faridabad has been catering to Indian exporters and importers of agriculture commodities and Indian Pesticide Industry, through its two portals namely, Computerized Registration of pesticide (CROP) and Plant Quarantine Information System (PQIS).
• For quicker disposal of applications related to export/import of agricultural commodities and pesticides registration, DAFW launched two redeveloped online portals.
• The PQMS portal will provide a transparent system with no physical touch points for the applicants and ensure convenience to the users, through online system including e-payments and uploading of documents, online accreditation and renewal of treatment agencies/facilities and downloading of certificates.
• Similarly, the re-developed CROP portal will immensely help in ease of doing business and provide greater and timely Crop protection solution to farmers of the country.

• The Ministry of Ayush and the Government of Gujarat organized a curtain raiser press conference to discuss two pertinent developments in the field of traditional medicine in India- the groundbreaking event of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) and the convening of the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS).

• The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, the first of its kind in the world, will be inaugurated on April 19, 2022, in Jamnagar.
• The Centre aims to channel the potential of traditional medicine, by integrating it with technological advancements and evidence-based research.
• While Jamnagar will serve as the base, the new Centre aims to engage and benefit the world.
• The GCTM shall focus on four main strategic areas: evidence and learning; data and analytics; sustainability and equity; and innovation and technology to optimize the contribution of traditional medicine to global health.
• The Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit will be held from April 20 to April 22, 2022, in Gandhinagar.
• The Summit aims to increase investments and showcase innovations in the field of traditional medicine.
• It is a unique attempt to foster long lasting partnerships, boost exports and nurture a sustainable ecosystem.
• The GCTM seeks to set policies and standards on traditional medicine products and help countries create a comprehensive, safe, and high-quality health system.

• Prime Minister began a two-day Gujarat tour on April 18 by visiting the Command and Control Centre set up by the Education Department.

• In June 2021, former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated the technological and infrastructural upgraded Command and Control Centre 2.0 or ‘Vidya Samiksha Kendra'.
• It is a surveillance system which tracks enrolment, attendance, learning outcomes, drop-outs, school accreditation and monitors schools, teachers and block and cluster resource centre co-ordinators.
• This state of the art data driven centre is based on the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) Framework.
• The centre is located in sector 19 of Gandhinagar and is aimed at leveraging data and technology to improve learning outcomes.

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