Daily Current Capsules
15 and 16 December 2022

COMMISSIONING OF YARD 12705 (MORMUGAO)

What's the NEWS

• Mormugao, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, is scheduled to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 Dec 22 (on the eve of the Goa Liberation Day)
• The event marks the formal induction into the Navy of the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam' class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

Know! about Mormugao (P15B stealth guided missile destroyer )

• The majestic ship can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India.
• The ship is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration, capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots.
• The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS).
• Mormugao is packed with sophisticated ‘state of the art' weapons and sensors such as Surface to Surface Missile and Surface to Air Missiles.
• The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship.
• The ship's Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and the ASW helicopters.
• The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.

Visakhapatnam-class destroyers

• The Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, also classified as the P-15 Bravo class, or simply P-15B, is a class of guided-missile destroyers currently being built for the Indian Navy.
• The Visakhapatnam class is an upgraded derivative of its predecessor, the Kolkata class, with improved features of stealth, automation and ordnance.
• Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB), a total of four ships are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), under the Make in India initiative.
• The first vessel of the class, INS Visakhapatnam was commissioned on 21 November 2021.
• The Indian Navy plans to have all four destroyers in active service by 2024.

 

Varanus and Python Fossil

 

What's the NEWS

• Remains of fossil lizards and snakes have been discovered recently from a late Miocene hominid locality of India (dated 9.1 Million Years) in Haritalyangar, Himachal Pradesh, indicating a seasonally wet sub-humid to semi-arid climate in the area with mean annual temperature of around 15-18.6°C during that period.
• Lizards and snakes are cold-blooded squamates whose distribution, richness, and diversity of are highly dependent on temperature and climatic conditions.
• For this reason, squamates are widely regarded as excellent indicators of past climates, particularly ambient temperatures.
• The occurrence of taxa Varanus in Haritalyangar is important in regard to its past biodiversity because varanids have a limited fossil record in Asia.
• Also, the fossil Python from South Asia remains poor except for the earliest record from Pakistan (dated ca. 18 Ma) and Kutch, Gujarat (dated ca. 14-10 Ma).
• A co-existence of Varanus and Python, two iconic squamates, revealed a wider distribution of the clade in this southern Asian territory.

 

SURYA KIRAN -XVI

What's the NEWS

• The 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise "SURYA KIRAN-XVI" between India and Nepal will be conducted at Nepal Army Battle School, Saljhandi (Nepal), from 16 - 29 December 2022.
• Exercise "SURYA KIRAN" is conducted annually between India and Nepal with the aim to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare & counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and HADR under UN mandate.
• Nepal Army soldiers of Shree Bhawani Baksh Battalion and Indian Army soldiers from the 5 GR will be participating in the exercise.
• The two armies, through these contingents, shall be sharing the experiences gained during the
• The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation which will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.

National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC)

 

 

What's the NEWS

• The Government is implementing many schemes and programs including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises of missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, health and strategic knowledge for climate change.
• The National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC), implemented by the Department of Science and Technology, under the NAPCC promotes research, knowledge generation and capacity building relating to climate science.
• The mission has been revised to align its objectives and priorities with the commitments of the country.
• Thirteen Climate Change centers/ cells have been set up in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana to carry activities that connect their state action plans on climate change with NMSKCC priorities of action.

Climate Change Challenges - India's role

• India has also prepared and submitted a separate framework document titled ‘India's Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy' to the secretariat of the UNFCCC in November 2022 with the vision to reach net-zero by 2070.

 

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) now named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme

 

What's the NEWS

• The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK) has now been named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme.
• The integrated scheme converges five erstwhile schemes of the Ministry viz. Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil.
• The scheme has been approved by the Cabinet for the period of 15th Finance Commission.
• PM VIKAS aims to improve livelihoods of the minorities, particularly the artisan communities, using the components of skill development, education, women leadership & entrepreneurship.
• These components compliment each other in the ultimate objective of the scheme to increase the incomes of the beneficiaries and provide support by facilitating credit and market linkages.

 

Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)

What's the NEWS

• The Minister of Minority Affairs informed that the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), is being implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, with the objective to develop infrastructure projects in identified areas, for socio economic development of said areas.
• The priority sectors under PMJVK are education, health, skill development, women centric projects etc.
• In North Eastern Region (NER), the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are covered under PMJVK.
• The proposals under PMJVK are sent by the States/Union Territories (UTs) as per demand for infrastructure in the identified areas, which are considered and approved by the Empowered Committee (EC) of PMJVK, after due consultation with the concerned Central Ministries.
• Projects under PMJVK are implemented and managed by the concerned State/ UT Government.
• PMJVK is a demand driven scheme and State/ UT-wise allocation of funds is not made under the scheme.

 

Youth Co:Lab

 

What's the NEWS

• The 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab, Asia Pacific's largest youth innovation movement was jointly launched by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India on Thursday December 15th 2022.
• The applications for this edition were launched by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog and Mr. Dennis Curry, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP India.

Know! about Youth Co:Lab

• Youth Co:Lab is an initiative launched in 2019 by UNDP India in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.
• Atal Innovation Mission, along with UNDP India are driving this movement through the fifth edition of Youth Co:Lab India and have been supporting young social entrepreneurs who can be a powerful force in leading social change and furthering the implementation of SDGs target actions.
• The Youth Co:Lab initiative, till date, has been implemented in 28 countries and territories, reaching over 200,000 participants, benefitting more than 11,000 young social entrepreneurs and supporting over 1,240 social enterprises.
• Through Youth Co: Lab, 30 early-stage start-ups would be supported by the springboard programme, and the best would be provided a seed grant for scaling up their start-up.

The 5 focus thematic areas for Youth Colab 2022-23 are:

• Digital and Financial Literacy for Youth
• Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment
• Developing FinTech Solutions focused on Biodiversity Conservation
• Promoting Biodiversity-friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance
• Accelerating Circular Economy through Upcycling Innovations
• Behavioural Nudges for LiFE ( Lifestyle For Environment)
• Passionate young founders with solutions that solve real problems and/or create meaningful co-innovation opportunities aged 18-29 can apply and will be supported throughout the programme.

 

Know! about Youth Co:Lab:

• Co-created in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation, Youth Co:Lab is a multi-dimensional and multi-level response to tackle the challenges young people face by positioning youth at the forefront in finding solutions to global challenges tackling Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Youth Co:Lab aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs through leadership, social innovation and entrepreneurship.

Know! about Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):

• AIM is the Government of India's endeavor to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Its objective is to serve as a platform for the promotion of world-class innovation hubs, grand challenges, start-up businesses, and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology-driven areas.

 

EAC-PM to release the Social Progress Index (SPI) for states and districts

What's the NEWS

• Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister (EAC-PM) will release the Social Progress Index (SPI) for states and districts of India on December 20, 2022.
• The report has been prepared by Institute for Competitiveness, headed by Dr Amit Kapoor and the Social Progress Imperative, headed by Michael Green and was mandated by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.

Know! about SPI

• SPI is a comprehensive tool intended to be a holistic measure of the Social Progress made by the country at the national and sub-national levels.
• Understanding that the social progress of citizens is key to sustaining economic growth in the long run, the index complements the conventional measures of economic growth and development.
• SPI assesses the performance of states and districts on three dimensions of social progress: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity.

Within each dimension, there are four components.

1. The dimension of Basic Human Needs assesses the performance of states and districts in terms of Nutrition and Basic Medical Care, Water and Sanitation, Personal Safety and Shelter.
2. The dimension of Foundations of Wellbeing evaluates the progress made by the country across the components of Access to Basic Knowledge, Access to Information and Communication, Health and Wellness, and Environmental Quality.
3. The dimension of Opportunity focuses on aspects of Personal Rights, Personal Freedom and Choice, Inclusiveness, and Access to Advanced Education.

 

 

• With state and district-wise rankings and scorecards, the report aims to provide a systematic account of the social progress made at all levels in the country.
• The report also sheds light on the achievements of the districts that have performed well on the index and the role of the states in achieving social progress.
• A special section of the report provides an analysis of the Aspirational Districts of India, leading to a broader understanding of the social progress at the grassroots level.
• The report will act as a critical enabler and tool for policymakers in the coming years for achieving sustained socio-economic growth.

 

RATS SCO Practical Seminar

 

What's the NEWS

• National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Government of India, in association with Data Security Council of India (DSCI) as a Knowledge Partner organized a Two-Day Practical Seminar on "Securing the Cyberspace Frontiers" for delegates from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States and representatives of EC RATS SCO on 14-15 December 2022 at New Delhi.
• This Practical Seminar is one of the India's initiatives started on 2019 under the framework of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorists Structure (RATS).
• SCO RATS Member States are the Republic of Kazakhstan, People's Republic of China, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Uzbekistan and Republic of India.
• This Practical Seminar is the 3rd Edition which has been designed with a special focus on examining and deliberating on issues related to Misuse of Internet by Terrorists, Separatists and Extremists (TS&E).

Know! about RATS-SCO

• SCO-RATS is a permanent body of the SCO and is intended to facilitate coordination and interaction between the SCO member states in the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism.
• The main functions of SCO-RATS are coordination and information sharing.

Know! about Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO):

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established as a multilateral association to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region.
• It envisages joining forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
• It was created in 2001.
• Member countries: Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan.
• India and Pakistan became members in 2017.
• Iran's bid to become a full member of the SCO has been approved.

SCO has two Permanent Bodies

• SCO Secretariat in Beijing
• Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.

 

India Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

What's the NEWS

• The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multi stakeholder platform, is conducting a three-day hybrid event starting from December 9 to December 11, 2022.
• The event's goal is to discuss the roadmap to digitization and to reaffirm India's place on the global stage by emphasising its role and importance in international policy development on internet governance.
• Theme of IIGF 2022: ‘Leveraging Techade for Empowering Bharat'.

 

Know! about IGF

 

• The India Internet Government Forum is an initiative associated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (UN-IGF).
• The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multi-stakeholder platform bringing representatives together from various groups, all at par to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet.
• India Internet Governance Forum(IIGF) has been constituted in conformance to IGF-Paragraph 72 of the Tunis Agenda of the UN-based Internet Governance forum (IGF).

 

Energy Conservation (Amendment)Bill 2022

 

What's the NEWS

 

• Parliament has passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022
• The Bill seeks to amend the Energy Conservation Act, of 2001.
• It promotes energy efficiency and conservation.
• The Bill empowers the Centre to specify a carbon credit trading scheme.
• The legislation also stipulates that designated consumers may be required to meet a proportion of their energy needs from non-fossil sources.
• The Energy Conservation Code for buildings will apply to office and residential buildings with a connected load of 100 kilowatt or above.
• Energy consumption standards will be specified for vehicles and ships.

 

Know! about Energy Trading

 

• The Government can issue energy savings certificates to those industries which consume less than their maximum allotted energy.
• Bureau Of Energy Efficiency: The act established this statutory body (Under Ministry of Power) helps in policy and programs ,which will increase the conservation and efficient use of energy in India.

 

Environment Education, Awareness and Training (EEAT)

 

What's the NEWS

 

• The EEAT scheme has been revamped during the current financial year into 'Environment Education Programme'

 

Know! about Environment Education, Awareness and Training (EEAT)

 

• It is a Central Sector scheme implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change .
• The objective is to promote environmental awareness and mobilize students' participation for environment conservation.
• Under this Scheme there are two major programmes namely Green Corps (NGC) Programme and National Nature Camping Programme (NNCP)

 

Green Corps (NGC) Programme

 

• Under this scheme more than 1 lakh Eco-clubs have been formed in schools and colleges to educate students and to spread awareness on environmental
• A financial assistance of Rs 5,000/- per Eco-club used to be provided under this programme with a ceiling of 500 school Eco-clubs per district and 100 college Eco-clubs per State.

 

National Nature Camping Programme (NNCP)

 

• Under this scheme ,organization of field visits/ nature camps in different Protected Areas/ Nature Parks/ Tiger Reserves of the country for students were supported.
• These camps provided ‘nature experience' to students and had huge potential to trigger their sensitivity towards nature and its conservation.

 

New India Literacy Programme

 

What's the NEWS

 

• Government has announced a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, "New India Literacy Programme" (NILP) for implementation during five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27.
• The programme aims to cover a target of 5.00 crore learners during the five years under Foundational Literacy and Numeracy component.

 

Know! about New India Literacy Programme:

 

• It aims to support the States and Union Territories in promoting literacy among non-literates in the age group of 15 and above.
• Components of the programme - (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (ii) Critical Life Skills, (iii) Vocational Skills Development, (iv) Basic Education and (v) Continuing Education.
• The Central and State shares are in the ratio of 60:40 for all States.
• North Eastern Region (NER) and Himalayan States where the sharing pattern between the Centre and the State is in the ratio of 90:10.
• For UTs with legislature the ratio is 60:40, except in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir where the ratio is 90:10
• For all other UTs without legislature the Central share is 100%.

 

 

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