National
E-Commerce portal dedicated to handloom & handicraft
⇒ To provide products from more than 35 Lakh Handloom weavers & 27 Lakh Handicraft artisans directly to the consumers while eliminating the middlemen, the Ministry of Textiles has developed an E-Commerce portal for handicrafts and handloom sector.
Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce and Industry launched the “Indiahandmade” portal in Gujarat.
Key Points:
- Indiahandmade portal offers a wide range of products, including clothing, home decor, jewellery, accessories, and more.
- All their products are handmade by skilled artisans, and they pride themselves on offering unique and authentic pieces that showcase India’s diverse cultural heritage.
- The portal will also provide an opportunity to total 62 Lakh weavers and artisans become future e-entrepreneurs.
Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station on 25 April 2023.
- Upon arriving at the venue, the Prime Minister inspected the Thiruvananthapuram – Kasargod Vande Bharat Express.
- The train covers 11 districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.
Devka Seafront in Daman
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation, Namo Path, Devka Seafront in Daman on 25 April 2023. He also visited the Naya Bharat Selfie Point.
About Devka Seafront:
- The 5.45 km Devka Seafront built at a cost of around Rs 165 crores is a one-of-its-kind coastal promenade in the country.
- The Seafront is expected to boost the local economy and attract more tourists to the region while making it a hub for leisure and recreation activities.
- The Seafront has been transformed to a world class tourist destination. It includes smart lighting, parking facilities, gardens, food stalls, recreational areas and provision for luxury tent cities in future.
PM lays foundation stone and dedicates to nation various development projects in Thiruvananthapuram
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs 3200 crores at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 25 April 2023.
The projects include the dedication of the Kochi Water Metro to the nation, laying the foundation stone of various rail projects and the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.
Various Projects:
India’s First Water Metro:
» The Prime Minister dedicated the Kochi water metro to the nation.
- This one-of-its-kind project connects 10 islands around Kochi in Malabar coast through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with Kochi city.
- The Kochi Water Metro is a project being implemented by Kochi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRL) with the assistance of a German funding agency, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau.
- The project is worth Rs 747 crore which has identified 15 routes connecting islands spanning 78 km.
» Apart from Kochi Water Metro, rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section was also dedicated by the Prime Minister.
» During the event, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of various rail projects including the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations; the comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area including Nemon and Kochuveli and increasing of sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section.
Digital Science Park:
» Apart from this, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Digital Science Park is envisaged as a key research facility to develop digital products and services by industry and business units in collaboration with academia.
- As a third generation Science Park, the Digital Science Park will house common facilities to support the development of products in the area of Industry 4.0 Technologies like AI, Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Smart Materials etc.
- The state-of-the-art basic infrastructure will support high-end applied research by industries and the co-development of products in association with the Universities.
- The initial investment for Phase-1 of the project is around Rs 200 crore while the total project outlay has been estimated at around Rs 1515 crore.
- Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the operations of the first phase of the Digital Science Park at Mangalapuram, near Thiruvananthapuram on 01 August 2023.
International
International Conference on ‘Optimising Human Capital of Armed Forces: Psychological Perspective’
⇒ A four-day International Conference on ‘Optimising Human Capital of Armed Forces: Psychological Perspective’ organised by Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), a Delhi-based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation was inaugurated in Delhi on April 25, 2023.
Aim:
The aim of the conference was to deliberate recent advances, emerging trends and challenges of psychology with respect to human capital of the Armed Forces upon world over.
Key Points:
- The conference had participation from the three Services, DRDO labs and academia.
- Major themes of the conference included emerging trends in personality assessment, leadership, psychological testing and neuro-cognitive assessment, psychological warfare & psychological functions under hi-tech and extreme environments.
- It featured keynote addresses, panel discussions and sessions from luminaries of psychology from Indian and international academia and research institutions which includes speakers from USA, UK and Australia.
PGCIL wins Global Gold Award for CSR work
⇒ Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL), a Maharatna CPSU of Ministry of Power, Government of India has been conferred Global Gold Award by The Green Organization.
- The recognition was given at the Green World Awards 2023 function held at Miami in the USA on 24 April 2023.
- Dr. V. K. Singh, Director (Personnel), POWERGRID received the award on behalf of the organization.
Key Points:
- The award is a recognition of POWERGRID’s CSR work for improving Agriculture Productivity and Rural Livelihood through watershed management, community participation and better crop management practices in 10 villages of Jaipatna Block of Kalahandi District in Odisha.
- This is a 60-month farmer centric project started in late October 2019 with a withdrawal plan to ensure its sustainability.
- POWERGRID emphasizes been involved in a number of CSR programs for community and environment.