National
9th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023
⇒ The 9th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 was held from January 17-20, 2024 in Faridabad, Haryana.
- The campus of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) of Department of Biotechnology at Faridabad hosted India’s mega Science Fair 2023.
Organized by:
» IISF 2023 was jointly organized by Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Space (DoS), and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati.
Coordinated and implemented by:
» IISF 2023 was coordinated and implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt of India, and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India, an autonomous institute of DST in cooperation with Vijnana Bharati, VIBHA India.
- Vijnana Bharati is a Swadeshi Science Movement with the aim to connect science with society.
Media publicity:
» The Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) at CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research (NIScPR) coordinated and facilitated the media publicity of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023.
Theme:
The theme of the 9th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 was “Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal.”
- IISF 2023 had a total of 17 themes to showcase scientific achievements offering diverse benefits to participants and the general public.
Aim:
IISF 2023 aimed to provide a platform for inspiring public at large and individuals with diverse levels of interests like students, educators, scientists, researchers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs and science communicators.
Some of the events organized during all four days of IISF 2023:
Student Science Village; Face to Face of New Frontiers of Science & Technology, Science through Games & Toys, Students Innovation Festival – Space Hackathon; State S&T Ministers and Centre and States S & T Secretaries and Officials Conclave; Education for Aspiring India – National Science Teachers Workshop, Young Scientists Conference; National Social Organisations and Institutions Meet (NSOIM); Vigyanika-Science Literature Festival; Science, Technology, and Innovation Exhibition; Start-up, Technology, and Innovation B to B Meet; IISF Challenge, and Science & Technology Media and Communicators Conclave
» The event held interface among all stakeholders through various activities such as seminars by national and international experts, interactions with speakers, exhibitions, competitions, workshops, knowledge-sharing activities, technology shows, etc.
About IISF:
- The Indian Institute of Science Festival (IISF) is a flagship event that brings together the brightest minds, scientists, researchers, and innovators to celebrate the spirit of science.
- With a focus on fostering scientific temperament and innovation, IISF aims to ignite the curiosity of the youth and inspire them to explore the wonders of the scientific world.
- Since 2015, the IISF has hosted eight editions in different geographical regions of India and expanded as a mega science festival.
- In 2021, the Department of Space and the Department of Atomic Energy became an integral part of IISF.
- IISF’s primary objective is to commemorate the world of science, making it accessible to all.
Ministry of Education - AICTE Investor Network Event
⇒ Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Ministry of Education – AICTE Investor Network on January 31, 2024 in New Delhi.
» The MoE – AICTE Investor Network is a ground-breaking initiative jointly established by AICTE and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) with a vision to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the education sector.
- The platform aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to create a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Aim:
- The network aims to provide crucial financial support, mentoring, and strategic guidance to early-stage student or faculty-led startups. Through this unique network, the Ministry of Education seeks to encourage private investment in student- and faculty-led startups.
- The MoE-AICTE Investor Network is launched with the objective of empowering educational institutions to become innovation hubs, fostering a conducive environment for start-up development, facilitating entrepreneurship by transforming innovative ideas into scalable and sustainable businesses and providing startups with essential resources, mentorship, seed capital, and potential investors.
- This Investor Network further aims to bridge the gap between investors and transformative educational initiatives, fostering collaboration for the advancement of education and technology. Also, through this network, investors will have an exclusive opportunity to connect and collaborate with their peers.
» Over 50 Investors and Industry leaders from diverse sectors attended the launch to further establish networking opportunities and catalyse partnerships that drive innovation and growth foster meaningful connections and advance initiatives that benefit both investors and innovators.
- The investors held an interactive session with Shri Pradhan and exchanged visionary ideas and gained valuable insights into the future of education, technology, and innovation.
Steering committee:
» For the effective onboarding of investors, framing the policy and developing a strategic flow of the ‘MoE-AICTE Investor Network’, a 10-member steering committee has also been established under the chairmanship of Dr. Abhay Jere.
- The committee is formed to facilitate the onboarding of 100 investors with diverse profiles, draft and develop policy documents and working guidelines, create funding guidelines and parameters for the investors, prepare the eligibility criteria for startups and innovators seeking funding, monitor and track the progress of funded projects etc.
International
India’s nomination for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25
⇒ The “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” will be India’s nomination for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25.
- The twelve component parts of this nomination are, Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
- These components, distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, showcase the strategic military powers of the Maratha rule.
» There are two categories of nomination- cultural and natural criteria, the Maratha Military landscapes is nominated in the category of cultural criteria.
- There are six criteria (i to vi) for cultural sites and four criteria (vii to x) for natural sites for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
» The Maratha Military Landscapes of India is nominated under criterion-
(iii): To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization that in living or which has disappeared, criterion;
(iv): to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that illustrates significant stage(s) in human history and Criterion;
(vi): To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
About Maratha Military Landscapes of India:
- The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, which developed between 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers.
- This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula.
- There are more than 390 forts in Maharashtra out of which only 12 forts are selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes of India, of these eight forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
- The inception of the Maratha Military ideology dates back to 17th Century during the reign of the Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by the 1670 CE and continued through subsequent rules until Peshwa rule till 1818 CE.
World Heritage Sites in India:
- At present in India there are 42 World Heritage sites, out of which 34 are cultural sites, seven are natural sites whereas one is mixed site.
- In Maharashtra there are six World Heritage Sites, five cultural and one natural these are, Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and western Ghats of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala is serial property in natural category (2012).
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India included in the Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2021 is the sixth cultural property nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List from Maharashtra.