National
Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan continues till 2026
⇒ The Government has approved the scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for continuation till 31 March 2026 or till further review, whichever is earlier.
Expenditure:
The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs.12929.16 crore out of which Central Share is Rs 8120.97 crores and the State Share is of Rs.4808.19 crores. It has been envisaged to support around 1600 projects under the new phase of the scheme.
- New phase of RUSA targets to reach out the unserved, underserved areas; remote/rural areas; difficult geographies; LWE areas; NER; aspirational districts, tier-2 cities, areas with low GER etc.
- Under the new phase of the scheme, State Governments will be supported for Gender inclusion, Equity Initiatives, ICT, Enhancing employability through vocationalisation & skill upgradation. States will also be supported for creation of new Model Degree Colleges.
About RUSA:
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) is an overarching scheme, operating in mission mode for funding the state government universities and colleges to achieve the aims of equity, access and excellence.
Joint Security Exercise at Port Blair Airfield
⇒ Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a joint security exercise at Port Blair airfield on February 16, 2022.
- Day and night drills were conducted at INS Utkrosh and Veer Savarkar International Airport.
Aim:
The aim of the drill was to test the preparedness of all security agencies during various contingencies like terrorist attack, hostage crisis and hijack situation at the airfield or elsewhere.
India’s first Water Taxi Service in Mumbai
⇒ India’s first Water Taxi Service has been launched in Mumbai, Maharastra. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the ‘Most Awaited’ Water Taxi for citizens of Mumbai, from Belapur Jetty on 17 February 2022.
About:
- The Water Taxi service will connect the twin cities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for the first time.
- The Water Taxi services will commence from the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) and will also connect nearby locations at Nerul, Belapur, Elephanta island and JNPT.
- The newly constructed Belapur jetty, built at a cost of Rs.8.37 crore was funded in the 50-50 model under the Sagarmala scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The new jetty will enable movement of vessels to locations like Bhaucha Dhakka, Mandwa, Elephanta and Karanja.
Chief Justice of the Madras High Court
⇒ Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
He was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in November 2021. Now, he assumed the office of Chief Justice on 14 February 2022.
Asia’s largest tribal festival, 'Medharam Jathara'
⇒ Asia’s largest tribal festival, the ‘Medharam Jathara’ was commenced on the 16th of February 2022.
About:
- Medaram Jatara is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela, celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana- the Koya tribe for four days.
- As the largest tribal fair in Asia, Medaram Jathara is conducted in honour of the Goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma.
- It is celebrated once in two years in the month of ‘Magha’ (February) on the full moon day.
- Saralamma was the daughter of Sammakka. Her idol, according to the rituals, is installed in a temple at Kannepalli, a small village near Medaram.
» At present, the Jathara festival is organized by the Koyas in collaboration with the Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Telangana.
» The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is proactively supporting and covering the events of the festival and ensuring the preservation and promotion of the various intriguing facets of the Scheduled Tribes of Telangana.
» This festival aims to generate awareness of tribal cultures, festivals and heritage as well as maintain a harmonious bond between the visitors and the Tribal communities of Telangana.
International
Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Survey 2021
⇒ ACI released the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey for the year 2021. Airports Council International (ACI) World’s annual ASQ Awards recognize airport excellence in customer experience worldwide based on data from ASQ’s renowned Departures and Arrivals Surveys.
In the ASQ survey, Six Indian airports have been placed among the ‘Best Airport by Size and Region’.
» Best Airport by Size and Region: Six Indian Airports are-
2 to 5 million passengers per year
- Chandigarh Airport – Chandigarh, India
5 to 15 million passengers per year
- Cochin International Airport – Cochin, India
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport – Ahmedabad, India
15 to 25 million passengers per year
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport – Hyderabad, India
Over 40 million passengers per year
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport – Mumbai, India
- Indira Gandhi International Airport – Delhi, India
» Best Hygiene Measures by Region: Asia-Pacific
Indian Airport is:
- Chandigarh Airport – Chandigarh, India
» The 2021 Voice of the Customer Recognition
This new recognition is a complement to the ASQ Awards and recognizes airports that have demonstrated significant efforts to gather passenger feedback during the pandemic.
Indian Airport has been conferred with ‘The Voice of the Customer’ award by the Airports Council International (ACI).
The International Airports of these cities have been awarded:
Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Chennai, Mumbai, Cochin, Goa, Delhi, Jaipur, Patna, Bangalore, Assam, Mangaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram