Relevance IN - Prelims ( facts related to MoU + different platforms supported and enhanced by the government to promote e-learning) + Mains ( GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What's the NEWS

• To make e-learning more constructive, NCERT and Rotary India digitally signed MoU for e-learning content telecast for class 1-12 over all NCERT TV channels

Know! about the MoU

• The collaboration of Rotary India Humanity Foundation and NCERT with the guidance and support of MHRD will ensure that e-learning reaches children across the country with NCERT approved content.
• Under Vidya Daan 2.0 Rotary International will provide the e - content in Hindi language to NCERT for classes I to XII for all subjects.
• This material is of high class and very high quality; it will benefit the children very much.
• Rotary International will also provide material for special needs children as well as contribute its entirety to the Adult Literacy Mission.
• They will also provide the Teacher Training (including professional development) content

MoU highlights

• NCERT TV Tie-up: There will be curriculum modules telecast for classes 1-12,through twelve national Television channels of NCERT
• DIKSHA App tie-up: The e-Learning modules would also be available through GOI's national mobile app, DIKSHA, at the same time.

Know! about Rotary India

• Rotary has curated e-Learning content for classes 1-12 and plans to provide it free to the nation, as a home-based teaching solution related to their school curriculum.
• Rotary has a vast experience in e-Learning, having installed e-Learning software/hardware to over 30,000 Govt. schools across India, in the past 5 years".
• It is a non-political and non-religious organization open to all.
• Rotary Foundation (India) ("RFI") is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860
• Rotary Foundation (India) is registered under Foreign Contribution and Regulation Act (FCRA) with the Ministry of Home affairs, Government of India. Rotary Foundation (India)

Steps taken by the MHRD to promote e-learning

• Ministry of Human Resource Development is focusing on creating e-learning, accurate and updated study material for all and learning enhancements so that students can access quality education at home.
• MHRD have been working on integration of technology in education through various schemes and initiatives like Operation Digital Board, DIKSHA, E - Pathshala, SWAYAM and SWAYAM PRABHA.

VidyaDaan 2.0

• Govt of India has launched a national program VidyaDaan 2.0 in April 2020 for inviting e-learning Content contributions.
• VidyaDaan 2.0 is a common national program to develop and contribute e-learning content and a chance to be recognised nationally.
• The content will be monitored by a panel of academic experts and released for use on the DIKSHA app to help millions of children across the country continue learning anytime and anywhere.

DIKSHA portal

• In 2017, the government has launched DIKSHA portal to serve as a dedicated national digital infrastructure for teachers.
• The platform will enable teachers to create training content, in-class resources, profiles, assessment aids, and connect with other teachers more seamlessly.
• The DIKSHA portal can be used by both public and private institutions as per their unique goals, needs, and capabilities required for teacher training.

SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active learning for Young Aspiring Minds)

• Launched in 2014, SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active learning for Young Aspiring Minds) envisions extending best-quality education to over 3 crore students in India.
• The platform has been developed by the Ministry of HRD in collaboration with IIT Madras, NPTEL, and Google.
• It includes various training courses by AICTE, UGC, NCERT, NPTEL, CEC, IGNOU, NIOS, NITTTR, and IIM-Bombay.
• All training courses are free of cost on SWAYAM.
• The reach of SWAYAM further gets amplified via 32 SWAYAM Prabha DTH channels, especially amongst less-digitized regions.

SWAYAMPRABHA

• Swayamprabha is a group of 32 DTH channels providing high-quality educational curriculum-based course contents covering diverse disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, performing arts, social sciences and humanities subjects, engineering, technology, law, medicine, agriculture, etc to all teachers, students and citizens across the country interested in lifelong learning.

e-PG Pathshala

• e-PG Pathshala hosts high quality, curriculum-based, interactive e-content containing 23,000 modules (e-text and video) in 70 Post Graduate disciplines of social sciences, arts, fine arts and humanities, natural & mathematical sciences.

• Digital boards will be available for students from class 9 to 12 in schools, in addition, to classes in higher education institutions.
• Seven lakh classrooms in schools and two lakh in universities and colleges will have digital boards by 2022.

For the Visually Impaired Children

• Special e-content will be provided for visually and hearing impaired children.
• It is developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube
• Learners can access all study material of NIOS through DAISY
• These lessons are broadcast on Gyanamrit, Channel 30 of Swayam Prabha
• Other initiatives to promote online education
• One earmarked TV channel for each class from standard 1 to 12 under ‘one class one channel programme'
• Podcast called Shiksha Vani of CBSE disseminates audio content for various subjects of grades 9 to 12
• Manordarpan: an initiative for psychological support and counselling of students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being.
• New National Curriculum and Pedagogical framework for school, early childhood .It will be integrated with global and 21st century skill requirements.
• National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission for ensuring that every child attains learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025 will be launched by December 2020.

Prelims Factoids
State Food Safety Index

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about state food safety index + about world food safety day + about FSSAI)
What's the NEWS

• To mark the occasion of the World Food Safety Day, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has released the results of the second 'State Food Safety Index'

Know! the findings of the Index

• Gujarat has topped among larger States in terms of food safety index, while Chandigarh tops among UTs.
• Gujarat is followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
• Goa leads smaller States so far as food safety is concerned
• Among smaller States, Goa is followed by Manipur and Meghalaya. Among UTs, Chandigarh, Delhi and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have secured top ranks.

Know! about the Index

• FSSAI has developed State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of states on various parameters of Food Safety.
• This index is based on performance of State/ UT on five significant parameters, namely, Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing - Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.

Know! about World Food Safety Day

• The principles of food safety aim to prevent food from becoming contaminated and causing food poisoning.

• The United Nations (UN) has assigned two of its agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to lead efforts in promoting food safety around the world.
• In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 7 as the World Food Safety Day.
• June 7, 2019 marks the first anniversary of World Food Safety Day
• World Food Safety Day is observed on June 7 to draw global attention to the health consequences of contaminated food and water.
• This is the second anniversary of World Food Safety Day (WFSD).
• Through this day, WHO pursues its efforts to mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of food-borne diseases globally.
• Theme - 'Food safety, everyone's business

Know! about FSSAI

• It is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
• FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.

Prelims Factoids
World's first 'internet-controlled' robot for COVID-19 hospitals

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Coro-bot)
What's the NEWS

• A 23-year old Thane engineer has made a first-of-its kind 'Internet-controlled' robot specifically to address the needs of hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

Know! all about Coro-bot

• The gizmo, aptly called 'Coro-bot' independently dispenses food, water, beverages, medicines - and even some good advice - to Corona patients without the needs for nurses, ward staff or other care-givers.
• Coro-bot eliminates the need of physical presence or contact of nurses or ward boys with the patient.
• It can deliver food, water, medicines and interact with the patients through a camera. Through a speaker, it can also advise patients on various precautions like sanitizing their hands before picking up anything from the robotic tray
• A special App has been created to operate Coro-bot from any location in the world using Internet of Things (IoT) technology - a first anywhere in the world that this technique is being deployed in the medical field

Environment Conservation
Online waste management platform

Relevance IN - Prelims(about the online waste management platform) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• On World Environment Day, Andhra Pradesh launched an online waste management platform to handle liquid waste, hazardous, and non-hazardous solid waste and air pollutants.

Know! the working mechanism of online waste exchange platform

• The Andhra Pradesh Environment Management Corporation (APEMC), which will handle the platform, will henceforth be responsible for safe disposal of all industrial waste generated in the state.
• The APEMC will streamline collection of the waste from industries, sort and streamline the waste as hazardous or non-hazardous or e-waste according to category, and scientifically dispose it off at various waste disposal centres.
• Through the online platform, industries which do not have their own waste disposal systems can approach the APEMC, which will arrange for collection and safe disposal of the waste.
• APEMC will handle the waste from its generation till the end of its lifecycle.
• It will work in close coordination with Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), with a strong regulatory framework to handle the waste from cradle to grave,
• The role of the pollution control board would be to consider and make necessary provisions for industries and organisations to hand over the waste generated by their units, which cannot be treated within their premises, to APEMC for management of waste, in accordance with Environmental Rules & Regulations.
• APEMC will track the waste till it is disposed off safely while working with industries to implement the 6 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refurbish, Redesign and Remanufacture.
• It is India's first online waste exchange platform aimed at ensuring safe and scientific disposal of industrial wastes.

Space Awareness
ISRO signs MoU with ARIES for cooperation in Space Situational Awareness, Astrophysics
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the MoU + about Space Situational Awareness ) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)
What's the NEWS

• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has entered into an agreement with Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) Nainital for cooperation in the field of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Astrophysics.

Highlights of the MoU

• Space objects orbital tracking, analysis and space weather studies are important aspects in Space Situational Awareness and Management to safeguard Indian space assets from critical conjunction threats from space debris

Future endeavours in space exploration depend on R&D in Astrophysics, solar sciences and space environment

• This MoU will pave the way for future collaborations between ISRO and ARIES in establishing optical telescope observational facilities for space object tracking, R&D studies in space weather, astrophysics and Near Earth Object (NEO)
• India is focusing on debris tracking, collision avoidance, satellite anomaly detection, monitoring threats from space weather station, prediction of threats from asteroids and meteorites.

Connect to the past Mar 2020 (similar agreements signed by ISRO)

• A Memorandum of Understanding on "Scientific Collaborations in area of Space Situational Awareness (SSA)" was signed between ISRO and University of Texas, Austin, USA
• This MoU will pave the way for collaborations between the agencies in mutually beneficial projects related to R&D in SSA activities and observational facilities for SSA.

Connect to the past August 2019

• Chairman, ISRO laid foundation stone for Space Situational Awareness Control Centre at Peenya, Bengaluru on 2nd August
• Space Situational Awareness & Management (SSAM) has become an internationally significant area due to the ever growing manmade space debris population and the increased collision threat with operational spacecraft.
• ISRO is aiming at protecting high valued space assets from space debris close approaches and collisions.
• To carryout systematically all activities related to SSAM, a control centre is being established at Bengaluru.

Know! about ARIES

• Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) is a research institute in Nainital, Uttarakhand which specializes in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences.
• It is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India

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