National
PM inaugurates and lays foundation stone for multiple development projects in Kevadia
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 160 crores in Kevadia, Gujarat on 31 October 2023.
Multiple development projects:
The projects that were inaugurated include the Heritage Train from Ekta Nagar to Ahmedabad; project for live Narmada Aarti; Kamalam Park; a walkway within Statue of Unity; 30 new e-buses, 210 e-bicycles and multiple Golf Carts; City Gas Distribution Network at Ekta Nagar and ‘Sahkar Bhawan’ of Gujarat State Cooperative Bank. Further, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sub-District Hospital with a Trauma Center and a Solar Panel at Kevadia.
» Prime Minister also addressed the Officer Trainees of the 98th Common Foundation Course at the culmination of Aarambh 5.0.
Key Points:
- The 5th edition of Aarambh was held on the theme of ‘Harnessing the power of disruption’.
- It is an effort to delineate the disruptions that continue to reshape the present and the future and to define pathways to harness the power of disruption in the realm of governance, for inclusive development.
- The 98th Common Foundation course with the theme ‘Mai nahi hum’ has 560 Officer Trainees from across 16 civil services of India and 3 civil services of Bhutan.
IAF Fighter Squadron Converts from MiG-21 to SU-30 MKI
⇒ The Number 4 Squadron (Oorials) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) based at Air Force Station Uttarlai (Barmer) is converting from the MiG-21 to the Su-30 MKI.
- It marks a watershed moment in the history of the squadron which was operating the MiG-21 since 1966.
- The MiG-21 was the first supersonic fighter in service of the IAF and was inducted in 1963.
Key Points:
- The formal induction of the new aircraft was marked by a ceremony at Air Force Station Uttarlai on 30 October 2023.
- The ceremony featured a combined flypast by the MiG-21 and Su-30 MKI, which marked the last MiG-21 sortie for the squadron.
- The conversion of this squadron to Su-30 MKI implies that the IAF now operates only two squadrons of the MiG-21.
- The IAF remains committed to phasing out the MiG-21 aircraft by the year 2025.
International
India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise KAZIND-2023
⇒ The 7th edition of India-Kazakhstan Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ was conducted at Otar, Kazakhstan from 30th October to 11th November 2023.
The Indian Army and Indian Air Force contingent comprised 120 personnel.
- Indian Army contingent comprised 90 personnel led by a Battalion from the DOGRA Regiment.
- The Kazakhstan contingent was mainly represented by personnel from Regional Command South of Kazakh Ground Forces.
- 30 personnel of Air Force from both sides also participated in the 7th edition of the Exercise alongside the Army contingents.
In this edition of the Exercise, both sides practiced conduct of Counter Terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under United Nations mandate.
- The contingents jointly rehearsed various tactical drills, including Raid, Search and Destroy Operations, Small Team Insertion and Extraction Operations etc.
- The scope of the Exercise also included conducting of Counter Unmanned Aerial System Operations.
- ‘Exercise KAZIND 2023’ provided an opportunity for both sides to gain an insight into the tactics, battle drills and procedures of each other, which is a prerequisite while operating under the ambit of the United Nations.
- The joint training developed the necessary skills, resilience and coordination to conduct joint military operations in Semi-Urban and Urban environments.
» Both sides got a chance to practice drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills and mutually learn from each other. The Exercise provided an opportunity for the contingents to exchange views and share the best practices. Furthermore, ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ strengthened the bond between the two armies.
Background:
- The Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as ‘Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK’ in the year 2016.
- After the second edition, the Exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as ‘Exercise KAZIND’.
- The Exercise has been further upgraded as a Bi-service Exercise this year by including the Air Force component.
Important Day
International Dyslexia Awareness Month 2023
⇒ Every year, October is celebrated as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, when high-impact events and advocacy drives are organized under the theme ‘Go Red’.
- The aim of such events is to remove the stigma associated with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, eradicate discrimination, and raise public awareness.
Theme:
The theme of International Dyslexia Awareness Month 2023 was ‘Go Red’.
History:
- International Dyslexia Awareness Month was established by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) to raise awareness and educate others about dyslexia.
- The United States Congress recognized October as Dyslexia Awareness Month in 2015.
About Dyslexia:
» Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.
- These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
- Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Dyslexia Awareness in India:
» Secretary, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy Shri Sanjay Kumar along with Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Shri Rajesh Aggarwal flagged off the walk for dyslexia, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to celebrating diversity.
- As part of a country wide campaign to raise awareness, a “Walk4Dyslexia” was co-organized by the Changeinkk Foundation, UNESCO MGEIP, Orkids Foundation, and Soch Foundation on October 28, 2023 at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
Important Points:
- According to global estimates, Dyslexia affects one in every five individuals globally. While official numbers are unavailable, in India, this translates to over 200 million individuals, including 35 million students, living with a learning disability. However, only 1 in 20 get identified.
- Often considered the “duffer syndrome”, a lesser-known fact about individuals with dyslexia is that they possess a wide range of skills required for higher order thinking including logical reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving and innovation. In fact, 40% of self-made millionaires have dyslexia and many of the world’s renowned inventors, including Einstein are known to have dyslexia.
- Specific Learning Disabilities, including dyslexia, were officially recognized for the first time, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016, which mandates equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life, including education and employment.
- The National Education Policy of 2020 further reinforces this mandate by emphasizing inclusive education for them from foundational education to higher education.