National
Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)
⇒ The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched a National Mission to quickly identify emerging technologies in the power sector and develop them indigenously, at scale, for deployment within and outside India.
The National Mission, titled “Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)” aims to facilitate indigenous research, development and demonstration of the latest and emerging technologies in the power sector.
- By identifying emerging technologies and taking them to the implementation stage, the Mission seeks to leverage them as the main fuel for future economic growth and thus make India a manufacturing hub of the world.
Key Points:
- The Mission will be funded by pooling financial resources of the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Central Public Sector Enterprises under the two Ministries. Any additional funding needed will be mobilized from Government of India’s budgetary resources.
- Planned for an initial period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28, the Mission will follow the technology life cycle approach of Idea to Product.
- The Mission will have a two-tier structure – a Technical Scoping Committee and an Apex Committee.
- Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bengaluru will provide all necessary secretarial assistance to the Apex Committee and Technical Scoping Committee.
The key objectives of the Mission are as follows:
- To identify emerging technologies and areas of future relevance for the Global Power Sector and take up indigenous end-to-end development of relevant technologies
- To provide a common platform for Power Sector Stakeholders for collective brainstorming, synergetic technology development and devise pathways for smooth transfer of technology
- To support pilot projects of indigenous technologies (developed especially by Indian Start-ups) and facilitate their commercialization
- To leverage foreign alliances and partnerships to accelerate research & development of advanced technologies and to build competencies, capabilities and access to advanced technologies through bilateral or multilateral collaborations, thereby facilitating exchange of knowhow and Technology Transfer.
- To seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and to create vibrant & innovative ecosystem in the Power Sector of the country
- To make our Nation among the leading Countries in Power System related Technologies & Applications development
Areas Identified for Research:
To begin with, the following eight areas are identified for research:
- Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage batteries
- Modifying electric cookers / pans to suit Indian cooking methods
- Green hydrogen for mobility (High Efficiency Fuel Cell)
- Carbon capture
- Geo-thermal energy
- Solid state refrigeration.
- Nano technology for EV battery
- Indigenous CRGO technology
Scope of the Mission:
- Under the Mission, once research areas are identified and approved by the Apex Committee, the proposals for outcome-linked funding will be invited from companies / organizations across the globe. The selection of the proposal shall be done through Quality cum Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) basis. The organizations of the Ministries may also co-develop the technologies with the selected Research Agency. The IPR of the technology developed would be shared by the Government of India and the Research Agency.
- The Mission shall also fund pilot projects of technologies developed by Indian Start-ups and facilitate their commercialization through the Central Public Sector Enterprises under both the Ministries. The start-ups will have to share the IPR with the Government of India / Central Power Research Institute.
- The Mission will also facilitate international collaboration for smooth exchange of know-how and Technology Transfer. The Mission will also seek collaboration with the best laboratories of the world for joint development of technologies.
The Amrit Generation Campaign: Naye Bharat Ke Sapne
⇒ Meta and Smt Smriti Zubin lrani, Union Minister for the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), launched the Amrit Generation campaign on 07 June 2023. The campaign begins on 8th June, 2023.
- The campaign is an initiative to empower and engage the youth of India by encouraging them to express their aspirations and dreams for the future.
- Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses.
Key Points:
- The Amrit Generation campaign is an exceptional platform for young people to share their dreams and aspirations.
- The Amrit Generation campaign invites young people (age group of 16-18) from across the country to showcase their creativity and share their aspirations by creating Reels on Instagram and Facebook.
- Participants are encouraged to explore their ambitions and what they aspire to become when they grow up, fostering a sense of community and inspiring others in the process.
- To participate in the Amrit Generation campaign, the participants simply need to create a reel on Instagram or Facebook showcasing their aspirations using the hashtag (#) Amrit Generation (duration of the reel needs to be specified).
- Fifty entries from the campaign will be selected and invited to New Delhi for a unique opportunity to interact with senior policymakers and industry leaders, providing valuable insights into their respective fields and offering guidance on how to achieve their dreams.
International
Suriname confers its highest civilian honor 'Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star' on President Murmu
⇒ The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu along with President Chandrikapersad Santokhi of Suriname, witnessed the cultural festival on the occasion of the commemoration of 150 years of the arrival of Indians in Suriname on June 5, 2023 in Paramaribo.
- On the first leg of her state visit to Serbia and Suriname, President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Paramaribo, Suriname on June 4.
- Addressing the gathering at the Independence Square in Paramaribo, the President said that today we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Suriname which is an important milestone in the history of Suriname. On this day, in the year 1873, the first group of Indians reached the shores of Suriname, on board the ship Lalla Rookh which was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of this country.
- The President also paid homage at the Baba and Mai monument, a symbolic representation of the first Indian man and woman, who first set foot in Suriname.
Highest civilian award of Suriname:
» At a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace, President Murmu was conferred with the highest civilian honour of Suriname ‘Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star’ by the President of Suriname.
- Murmu became the first Indian to be awarded the Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star.
» India and Suriname also signed four major Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of health, agriculture and capacity building.
Important Day
World Food Safety Day 2023
⇒ World Food Safety Day is celebrated every year on 7 June.
- World Food Safety Day aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
- This international day is an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food we eat is safe, mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of foodborne diseases globally.
Theme:
The theme of World Food Safety Day 2023 was “Food Standards Save Lives”.
History:
- World Food Safety Day was first celebrated on June 7, 2019.
- On 20 December 2018 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250 proclaiming a World Food Safety Day. As of 2019, every 7 June is a time to celebrate the myriad benefits of safe food.
- The resolution was proposed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and was co-sponsored by a total of 44 countries.
- On 3 August 2020, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution WHA73.5 to recognize World Food Safety Day as an important milestone and a platform for raising awareness at all levels about the importance of food safety; and for promoting and facilitating actions to prevent foodborne diseases at local, national, regional and global levels; to strengthen global efforts for food safety to reduce the burden of foodborne disease.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with Member States and other relevant organizations.