MAARG Portal

What's the NEWS

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched a call for startup applications for registration on the MAARG portal, the National Mentorship Platform by Startup India.
• To further boost the Indian startup ecosystem, currently ranked 3rd largest globally, Startup India is focused on catalysing the startup culture and building a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India.
• In this context, MAARG portal - Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience and Growth, is a one stop platform to facilitate mentorship for startups across diverse sectors, functions, stages, geographies, and backgrounds.

• To provide sector focused guidance, handholding, and support to startups throughout their lifecycle
• To establish a formalized and structured platform that facilitates intelligent matchmaking between the mentors and their respective mentees
• To facilitate efficient and expert mentorship for startups and build an outcome-oriented mechanism that allows timely tracking of the mentor-mentee engagements

• Startups can now effectively connect with academicians, industry experts, successful founders, seasoned investors, and other experts from across the globe, through Artificial Intelligence (AI) based matchmaking, to get personalized guidance on growth and strategy.
• The key features of the portal include customizable mentorship programs for ecosystem enablers, mobile-friendly user interface, recognition for contributing mentors, video and audio call options, etc.

International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023

What's the NEWS

• As a pre-launch to India's year-long grand celebration of ‘International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023', the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is hosting a special ‘millet luncheon' with the Ambassadors/High Commissioners of different countries appointed to India, in New Delhi t
• With the aim to generate mass awareness, increase production, productivity and strengthen the Millet value-chain towards enhanced Millet consumption, accepting Government of India's proposal, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM).
• The key objective of the luncheon is to spread awareness about Indian millets and engage with other nations for a successful and impactful global celebration of IYOM 2023.

Know! about Millets

• Millets are small-seeded hardy crops which can grow well in dry zones or rain-fed areas under marginal conditions of soil fertility and moisture.
• Millets are cultivated in low-fertile land, tribal and rain-fed and mountainous areas.
• These areas include Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
• Due to their short growing season, millets can develop from seeds to ready to harvest crops in just about 65 days.
• The millets commonly grown in India include Jowar (sorghum), Bajra (pearl millet), ragi (finger millet), Jhangora (barnyard millet), Barri (Proso or common millet), Kangni (foxtail/ Italian millet), Kodra (Kodo millet) etc.

Agni-3

What's the NEWS

• India carried out a successful training launch of an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, Agni-3 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha on November 23, 2022.
• The successful test was part of routine user training launches carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.
• The launch was carried out for a predetermined range and validated all operational parameters of the system.

• Agni-3 is the third entrant in the Agni missile series and was first tested on July 9, 2006. But it developed a technical snag
• The missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and hitting target 3,500 kilometres away.
• The Agni-3 missile was test fired successfully in its second flight in 2007 and then at its third consecutive launch in 2008.
• This comes a month after India successfully test-fired indigenous new generation medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime from the Odisha coast.
• The missile's strike range is between 1,000 km and 2,000 km
• The last trial of the missile was conducted on December 18 last year from the same base, which was also successful.

MANJULA

What's the NEWS

• Ferry Craft ‘Manjula' (Yard 786) was launched at M/s Shalimar Works Ltd, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Contract for construction and delivery of seven 250 Men Ferry Craft was concluded with M/s Shalimar Works Ltd, Kolkata in consonance with "AatmaNirbhar Bharat" initiatives of the government of India.
• Six out of Seven Ferry Craft have already been delivered at Port Blair, Visakhapatnam and Mumbai.
• These Ferry Craft are being built with a service life of 25 years.
• The Ferry Craft will provide impetus to operational and logistics requirements of Indian Navy.

EXERCISE GARUDA SHAKTI

What's the NEWS

• A contingent of Indian Special Forces troops are currently engaged in a bilateral joint training Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI with Indonesian Special Forces at Sangga Buana Training Area, Karawang, Indonesia.
• Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI is the eighth edition of the series of bilateral exercises under this banner.
• The exercise which commenced on 21 November 2022 aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the Special Forces of both armies.
• The joint exercise will facilitate both armies to know each other better, and share their wide experiences and combat experience on countering terrorist operations, Regional Security Operations & Peace Keeping Operations in an international environment.

India proposes moving Batagur Kachuga to CITES Appendix I for better protection

What's the NEWS

• The 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is being held at Panama City from 14thNovember to 25th November 2022.
• At CoP 19, India's proposal for induction of fresh water turtle Batagur kachuga earned wide support of the parties in CoP 19 of CITES.
• CITES lauded and recorded the works done by the India in the area of conservation of tortoises and fresh water turtles and efforts made in combating wildlife crime and illegal trade of turtles in the country.
• CITES lauded the result achieved by the country in operations such as those initiated by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau namely Operation Turtshield, which resulted in nabbing many criminals involved in poaching and illegal trade of fresh water turtles and substantial seizures made by the agencies in different part of the country.

• At CoP of CITES, also known as the World Wildlife Conference, all 184 Parties to CITES have the right to attend, to put forward proposals for the Conference to consider, and to vote on all decisions.
• 52 proposals have been put forward so far that would affect the regulations on international trade for: sharks, reptiles, hippos, songbirds, rhinos, 200 tree species, orchids, elephants, turtles and more.

Know! about CITES

• CITES is an international agreement to which States and regional economic integration organizations adhere voluntarily.
• Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties - in other words they have to implement the Convention - it does not take the place of national laws.
• Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.

Roofed Turtle (Batagur Kachuga)

• The turtle, native to India and Bangladesh, is at a high risk of extinction
• Currently in India, the National Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is the only area with a substantial population of the species
• Historically, this turtle was found in central Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh and Burma.
• India has raised a proposal to the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora for the addition of the riverine species to Appendix I from current Appendix II.

• Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction
• Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction but (where trade must be controlled)
• Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES parties for assistance in controlling the trade

National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)

What's the NEWS

• National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) recently celebrated the Diamond Jubilee anniversary of its establishment.

Know! about NIEPA

• It was established by the erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education), Government of India.
• It is a premier organization dealing with capacity building and research in planning and management of education not only in India but also in South Asia.
• The Institution is one of the first institutions established in the world in the area of education and planning.
• Over the past six decades, the institute has acquired a global reputation as one of the most recognized national institutions in the theory and practice of educational policy, planning and administration.
• The National Institute has its origin dating back to 1962 when the UNESCO established the Asian Regional Centre for Educational Planners and Administrators which later became the Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration in 1965.
• After 4 years of its existence, it was taken over by the Government of India and renamed as the National Staff College for Educational Planners and Administrators.
• Subsequently, with the increased roles and functions of the National Staff College, particularly in capacity building, research and professional support services to governments, it was again renamed as the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in 1979.

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