National
Book titled " Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story"
⇒ Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya addressed at an event to release the book ‘Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story’ at Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on January 11, 2023.
The book launch comes ahead of India’s second anniversary of starting its COVID-19 vaccination drive in January 2021. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mandaviya said that the book is a transcription of the country’s success story and will be New India’s history. He added that the book depicts the country’s strength and capability.
» Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya officially launched the book titled Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story in New Delhi.
- Book titled ” Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story” has been co-authored by Aashish Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhir.
The authors of Braving a Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story, Ashish Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhir, have put together the story of how India got two Indian-made vaccines — one fully developed in India as well — to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nari Samagam & Spardha - Women Sports Meet
⇒ On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, DoPT organized “Nari Samagam & Spardha” – Women Sports Meet on 11 January 2023 at Vinay Marg Sports Complex, New Delhi.
The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions is the coordinating agency of the Central Government in personnel matters especially in respect of issues concerning recruitment training career development and staff welfare.
» During the meet, Ms. Vinesh Phogat, Wrestler – Olympian and CWG Medalist interacted with women athletes and delivered a Winning Pep Talk.
» This was the second edition of the Women Sports Meet and the first was held on 22 December 2021.
Objectives:
- To increase awareness and to enhance women participation in sports and cultural activities.
- To adopt healthier lifestyle and increase their self-esteem, team work and confidence.
- To improve social skills and positive mental health.
» In addition, infrastructure development works viz Synthetic Volleyball Court, relaying of Tennis Court, extension of cricket pitches, conversion of four pitches into synthetic pitches, enclosures of all 8 pitches, renovation of toilets etc. were also carried out.
- For this purpose, CCSCSB received grant of Rs 1.55 Crore from Department of Sports.
36th International conference on VLSI Design and the 22nd International conference on Embedded Systems
⇒ The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar virtually addressed the 36th International conference on VLSI Design and the 22nd International conference on Embedded Systems in Hyderabad.
- The Minister addressed a gathering of over 2,000 engineers, students, faculty members, industry experts and representatives, academia, researchers, bureaucrats and government bodies as part of conference.
- The Minister said that a PLI scheme for IT sector- for hardware and servers – will soon be launched. This scheme would provide additional incentives for manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that would incorporate Indian designed IP into their systems and products.
- Highlighting that India is working hard to develop global standard capabilities in the Semiconductor design, manufacturing and packaging ecosystem, the Minister said that by 2024 under the Semicon India Future Design program, it is envisioned that domestic startups will work with global majors and develop IP and devices that are either co-owned or owned by them.
About VLSID 2023:
The 36th International Conference on VLSI Design and 22nd International Conference on Embedded Systems was held in Hyderabad on January 08-12, 2023.
Key Points:
- VLSID 2023 was hosted in the best stand-alone convention center, HICC Hyderabad.
- International VLSI Design & Embedded Systems conference is a Premier Global conference with legacy of over three and half decades.
- VLSID 2023 – the first physical conference post pandemic, acted as a platform for industry and academia alike to discuss, deliberate and explore into the frontiers of semiconductor eco-system; which may eventually enable disruptive technologies for global digitalization.
- The International VLSI Design & Embedded Systems conference was a premier global conference focusing on the latest advancements in VLSI and Embedded Systems.
Short-Range Ballistic Missile, Prithvi-II
⇒ A successful training launch of a Short-Range Ballistic Missile, Prithvi-II was carried out on January 10, 2023 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
- A well-established system, Prithvi-II missile, has been an integral part of India’s nuclear deterrence.
- The missile struck its target with high accuracy. The user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.
Important Day
National Science Day 2023
⇒ The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’.
Theme:
The theme of National Science Day 2023 was “Global Science for Global Wellbeing”. The theme reflects the nation’s increasing international visibility and significance.
- The objective of National Science Day is to encourage students to pursue a career in science.
Background:
- Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day (NSD) in 1986.
- On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.
- It was on February 28 in 1928 that iconic Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman made an important discovery, known as the Raman Effect.
- The discovery was that when a beam of coloured light entered a liquid, a fraction of the light scattered by that liquid was of a different color. Raman showed that the nature of this scattered light was dependent on the type of sample present.
- Dr C.V. Raman was a prominent scientist who was born on November 7, 1888, in Tamil Nadu.
Death
Former governor of West Bengal, Bihar, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, Keshari Nath Tripathi
⇒ Former governor of West Bengal, Bihar, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, former speaker of UP legislative assembly, and senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Keshari Nath Tripathi, passed away on 08 January 2023 in Prayagraj. He was 88.
About Keshari Nath Tripathi:
- Keshari Nath Tripathi served as Governor of West Bengal from July 2014 to July 2019. An MLA for six terms (between 1977 and 1980), he was the speaker of the UP assembly in 1991, 1997 and 2002.
- He also served as the Speaker of the UP assembly thrice between 1991 and 2004.
- Tripathi authored several books, including ‘The Age of Wings’, ‘Sanchayita: Kesharinath Tripathi’, ‘Destination Jesus’, and ‘The Images’. He was also an author and poet of several books. His chief literary works are the anthologies Manonukriti and Aayu Pankh.