National
National Logistics Portal-Marine, a Single Window Logistics Portal
⇒ Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated The National Logistics Portal (marine) in New Delhi on 27 January 2023.
Envisaged by:
The National Logistic Portal (marine) (NLP) is a project of national importance, as envisaged by the Ministry of Ports Shipping Waterways and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Aim:
It is a one-stop platform aimed at connecting all the stakeholders of the logistics community using IT, to improve efficiency and transparency by reducing costs and time delays and achieving easier, faster, and more competitive offerings of services, to promote the growth of the logistics sector and thereby improve trade.
Key Points:
- NLP will be a single window for all trade processes of the logistics sector spread across the country covering all modes of transport in the waterways, roadways, and airways along with an E-marketplace to provide a seamless end-to-end logistic service coverage.
- NLP Is a one stop marketplace where all logistic stakeholders are integrated for easier, speedier & competitive services thereby promoting trade and growth.
- The implementation of NLP had been initiated in July 2021 with the development of NLP Marine as a first phase.
- The activities of NLP Marine are categorized into four distinct verticals viz- i) Carrier, ii) Cargo, iii) Banking and Finance and iv) Regulatory Bodies and Participating Government Agencies (PGAs).
4 COVID-19 vaccines supported under Mission COVID Suraksha
⇒ Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that under the able guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has developed four indigenous Vaccines in just two years.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in Ministry of Science & Technology has through “Mission COVID Suraksha”, delivered four vaccines, augmented the manufacturing of Covaxin, and created necessary infrastructure for smooth development of future vaccines, so that our country is pandemic ready.
Details of the 4 COVID-19 vaccines supported under Mission COVID Suraksha, which received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), are given below:
- ZyCoV-D- World’s 1st and India’s indigenously developed DNA Vaccine.
- CORBEVAXTM- India’s first protein subunit vaccine.
- GEMCOVAC™-19 – World’s 1st and India’s indigenously developed mRNA vaccine.
- iNCOVACC- World’s 1st and India’s indigenously developed intranasal COVID-19 Vaccine
PCB Recycling facility at C-MET, Hyderabad
⇒ The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma has inaugurated 1Ton/day PCB Recycling facility at the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), in Hyderabad on 27 Janaury 2023.
» One of the major thrust areas of C-MET, Hyderabad is to develop environmentally benign e-waste recycling technologies to promote resource efficiency and circular economy in the country.
- India generates around 3.2 million Tons per year of electronic waste which contains many precious materials like Gold, Palladium, Silver etc. in addition to hazardous materials which can cause irreparable health hazards to human being.
Key Points:
- C-MET has established Center of Excellence (CoE) on E-waste Management first of its kind in the country under PPP model.
- CoE on E-waste management has developed all varieties of e-waste recycling technologies viz spent PCB, Li Ion Battery, Permanent magnet and Si-solar cells etc.
- The PCB recycling technology developed by CoE is at Technology Readiness Level 6 stage and now ready for commercialization.
- C-MET has not only developed recycling technologies but also designed and fabricated necessary processing equipment for the same.
About C-MET:
- Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) is an autonomous scientific society under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
- It is having three R&D laboratories located at Hyderabad, Pune & Thrissur focusing on different thrust areas on critical electronic materials.
- C-MET, Hyderabad lab is focused on the development of high purity, semiconductors and strategic materials including metals and alloys.
120 startups and innovators for the XR Startup Program
⇒ MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Meta have announced the list of 120 startups and innovators for the XR Startup Program on 27 January 2023.
Key Points:
- As announced in September 2022, XR Startup Program is a collaboration between MSH and Meta to discover, nurture, and accelerate Extended Reality (XR) technology startups and innovators across India.
- The XR Startup Program includes an Accelerator and a Grand Challenge, aimed towards boosting the emerging tech ecosystem in the country, was kicked-off close on the heels of the recent National Startup Day.
- Out of the startups selected in the Accelerator Program, over 30% are from tier 2/3 cities across India. Also, 40% of the selected innovators and startups in the grand challenge are from tier 2/3 cities. Further, more than 20% of the cohort has women innovators and startups with women founders/ co-founders.
» The program is being executed in partnership with implementation partners including, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer at IIT Delhi (North Zone), Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIIT-H (South Zone), Atal Incubation Centre at SMUTBI (East Zone), and Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (West Zone).
About MSH:
MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), is an initiative of MeitY has been focused on building and strengthening the startup ecosystem across India via the launch of new funding schemes, corporate startup programs, and international expansion programs for startups among other activities.
Important Day
International Customs Day 2023
⇒ International Customs Day (ICD) is observed globally on 26 January every year.
- The day is dedicated to spreading awareness about the role Customs authorities play in the seamless movement of goods across borders and their importance in the cross-border regulatory apparatus.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and all its field formations observed the International Customs Day, 2023 in India.
Theme:
The theme for International Customs Day 2023, as given by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) was “Nurturing the Next Generation: Promoting a Culture of Knowledge-sharing and Professional Pride in Customs”.
History:
- International Customs Day was first celebrated in 1983 by the Customs Council to observe 30 years of its first session. The occasion commemorates the WCO’s maiden session held in 1953.
- The Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) currently known as the World Customs Organisation (WCO) was established on January 26, 1953. They formally announced the observance of ICD in an inaugural session that was conducted in Brussels, Belgium. In 1994, the CCC has been renamed as World Customs Organisation.