National
Mega North India StartUp Expo
⇒ The Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated a Mega StartUp Expo under the theme “Emerging StartUp Trends in North India” on 04 January 2024 at Kathua, the border town sharing its boundaries with Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Organized by:
» The Startup Expo was organized jointly by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT, GoI and CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu.
Participation:
» In which a total of 25 Startup from North India, i.e. from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi showcased their innovations and products.
- The event was organized with the specific objective to create a convergence point for budding entrepreneurs and seasoned mentors, to foster innovation, collaboration, and growth.
Highlights:
- The event encapsulates the spirit of pushing boundaries, embracing change, creating solutions and ushering new opportunities that address real-world challenges and will witness various innovations by 25 selected startups, in varied sectors which includes, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, medical & diagnostic devices, food technology, nutraceuticals, aroma and space, etc.
- During the expo, Startups exhibited their products, prototypes, and services, providing attendees with hands-on experiences of cutting-edge technologies.
- The event also offered ample networking time, allowing participants to connect with potential co-founders, investors, mentors, collaborators and industry people.
Development and Reporting of “Green Cover Index” for National Highways of India
⇒ The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for a period of three years to develop and report a “Green Cover Index” for the extensive network of National Highways in India.
» Since the initiation of the Green Highways Policy in 2015, the prioritization of greening Highway Corridors has been a focal point for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and NHAI. Presently, the monitoring of plantations relies on site visits by field personnel.
» Using the capabilities of emerging technologies to enhance in-situ data collection and supplement plantation management and monitoring, including performance audits conducted by NHAI, the NRSC will undertake a comprehensive pan-India estimation of green cover, referred to as the “Green Cover Index” for National Highways using high-resolution satellite imagery.
- This innovative approach promises to be a robust and reliable mechanism, providing a time-saving and cost-effective solution to generate a macro-level estimate of the degree of greenness along National Highways. It will also facilitate targeted interventions in regions that are reported to lack adequate green cover.
» NRSC, headquartered in Hyderabad, has the mandate for establishment of ground stations for receiving satellite data, generation of data products, and development of techniques for remote sensing applications including geospatial services for good governance among other things.
» As a proof of concept, NRSC has already conducted successful pilot projects for estimation of green cover along National Highways.
- The overarching endeavour of the project is to capture the Green Cover Index region-wise for National Highways in the first assessment cycle. Subsequent annual cycles will focus on estimating the growth patterns of green cover for National Highways using scientific techniques. The findings of the index will facilitate comparison and ranking of various National Highways for timely and periodic intervention.
- As green cover would be estimated for every 1 km length of the National Highways, it would be possible to generate granular metrics for individual projects/packages as well. This initiative underscores a sincere commitment to evaluate NHAI’s pivotal role in fostering the green transformation of highways, thereby, contributing to the nation’s overall environmental well-being.
Flag Officer Commanding–in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Western Naval Command (WNC)
⇒ Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, AVSM, NM took over as the Flag Officer Commanding–in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Western Naval Command (WNC) on 03 January 2024 from Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM at an impressive Ceremonial Parade held at INS Shikra.
About Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh:
- Prior to taking over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the WNC, Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi.
- Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and was commissioned in 1986 in the Executive Branch of the India Navy.
- In recognition of his distinguished service, the Flag Officer was awarded the Nau Sena Medal in 2009, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.
» Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will take over as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi.