National
MoU between Army Design Bureau and Drone Federation of India
⇒ The Army Design Bureau on behalf of the Indian Army has signed a MoU with the Drone Federation of India; to collaboratively work towards promoting research, development, testing and manufacturing of drones, counter-drone and associated technologies that can assist the Indian Army in its operations.
This MoU between the Indian Army and the Drone Federation of India will promote efforts to handhold the industry and academia in order to assist them to develop niche technology and products for procurement by Indian Army.
As per the new MoU, both parties have agreed to collaboratively work on the following:
- To create a road map for drone, counter-drone and allied technologies in the Indian Army.
- To promote research, development, testing and indigenous manufacturing of drones and associated technologies by provision of testing sites to enable the designing, prototyping, testing and manufacturing of drones and associated components.
- Develop goal-based technology research programs in groups with members from industry, academia and the armed forces.
- Enabling outreach for Field Trials in collaboration with industry and user groups of the Armed Forces.
- Facilitate visit of Army Representatives to factory premises of industry members to understand industry capabilities and development progress along with visit of Industry Representatives and other Experts to army base and other operational posts for bringing awareness about field scenarios within Indian industry.
About Army Design Bureau:
The Army Design Bureau is the nodal agency of the Indian Army to be the facilitator for the R&D efforts with the Industry, Academia, DRDO and DPSUs to enable them to understand and appreciate user requirements in depth.
About Drone Federation of India:
The Drone Federation of India promotes the drone industry by bringing about policy change, creating business opportunities, developing a robust skilling infrastructure, facilitating technology and knowledge transfers, developing standards, and promoting R&D efforts with industry-academia collaboration.
‘Him Drone-a-thon’ Programme
⇒ The Indian Army in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India has launched the ‘Him Drone-a-thon’ programme on 08 August 2022.
This initiative in line with Atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing is aimed to catalyse and provide focused opportunities to the Indian drone ecosystem to develop path-breaking drone capabilities for meeting requirements of frontline troops.
About Him Drone-a-thon:
The ‘Him Drone-a-thon’ programme is pan India sustained connect between all stake holders including industry, academia, software developers and drone product manufacturers.
- It will be conducted in stages with quantifiable parameters (like altitude, weight, range, endurance etc) being progressively enhanced based on demonstrated capabilities.
- Broad activities planned include- interactions & ideation between users, development agencies, academia etc, seeking of industry responses, visits by development agencies to operational locations to understand the ground perspective & requirements, handholding of development agencies for internal development & on-ground trials and actual conduct & evaluation of drone products.
ISRO’s maiden SSLV mission fails
⇒ The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 07 August 2022 said the satellites on board its maiden Small Satellite Launch Vehicle “are no longer usable” after the SSLV-D1 placed them on an elliptical orbit instead of a circular one.
- SSLV-D1 placed the satellites into 356 km x 76 km elliptical orbit instead of 356 km circular orbit. Satellites are no longer usable.
In its maiden SSLV mission, the launch vehicle carried The Earth Observation Satellite EOS-02 and the co-passenger student satellites AzaadiSAT.
- The objective of the EOS-02 was to provide inputs on thermal anomalies towards supporting applications in the domains of geo-environmental studies, forestry, hydrology, agriculture, soil, and coastal studies.
- The AzaadiSAT carries 75 different payloads each weighing around 50 grams. Girl students from rural regions across the country were provided guidance to build these payloads which are integrated by the student team of ‘Space Kidz India’.
About SSLV:
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a 34-metre tall, about 10-metre less than PSLV, and it has a vehicle diameter of two metres as compared to 2.8 metres of PSLV
Objectives of SSLV:
To provide inputs on thermal anomalies towards supporting applications in the domains of geo-environmental studies, forestry, hydrology, agri, soil & coastal studies.
International
Indo-Israel Center of Excellence for Vegetables
⇒ Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar laid the foundation stone of the Indo-Israel Center of Excellence for Vegetables in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh on 08 August 2022 through video conferencing.
About Indo-Israel Center of Excellence:
- The technology for the Center is provided by Israeli experts under the India-Israel Action Plan (IIAP) with funds for building infrastructure for demonstration purposes from MIDH.
- Centers of Excellence (CoEs) are being set up in the States based on Israeli technologies.
- These Centers of Excellence act as demonstration and training centers for the latest technologies in the field of Horticulture.
- They also serve as a source of planting material for fruits and vegetables in protected cultivation.
Sports
Deputy president of FIDE
⇒ Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand was on 07 August 2022 elected deputy president of FIDE, the sport’s world governing body, while incumbent president Arkady Dvorkovich was re-elected for a second term.
Five-time world champion Anand was part of Dvorkovich’s team. Dvorkovich received 157 votes as against 16 by his rival Andrii Baryshpolets while the number of invalid votes was 1 and abstentions stood at 5.
- The elections to the world chess body were held during the FIDE Congress which was conducted along with the 44th Chess Olympiad.
2022 World Cadets Wrestling Championships (U17)
⇒ The 2022 World Cadets Wrestling Championships (U17) took place in Rome, Italy from 25 July to 31 July, 2022.
The Cadet World Championship is a yearly event organized by United World Wrestling. The World Championships is held under Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Women category. Read More